Mice study raises memory drug hope

A study of the brains of mice could lead to the development of drugs to improve memory, it emerged yesterday.

Scientists in Canada found that a mind-altering mutation in mice led to improved performance across a range of memory tests.

They said that the altered gene - which normally increases the levels of a natural memory-blocking protein - could be a target for new treatments for diseases, such as Alzheimer's.
Nahum Sonenberg, from McGill University in Montreal, said there were very few examples of how memory could be improved, especially by deleting genes.

"The next step, which is inevitable, is to look for small molecules that mimic this memory-enhancing effect," he said.

His colleague, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, added: "If such a pill could be generated, it might provide a new method for treating people with memory-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

"While a drug that worked in this way wouldn't cure the disease itself, it might rescue the symptoms of memory loss," he said.

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