World-first gene therapy reverses Alzheimer's memory loss in mice

[CentralMass]

https://newatlas.com/medical/world-first-gene-therapy-alzheimers-memory/

"Scientists in Australia have made an exciting breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research, demonstrating what they describe as the first gene-therapy-based approach for treating advanced forms of the disease. Through experiments in mice, the team was able to show how activating a key enzyme in the brain can prevent the kind of memory loss associated with advanced forms of Alzheimer's, and even reverse it.
The research was carried out at Macquarie University, where dementia researchers and brothers Lars and Arne Ittner were investigating the role of a key enzyme in the brain called p38gamma. Through previous research, the brothers had shown that by activating this enzyme in mice with advanced dementia, they could modify a protein that prevents the development of Alzheimer’s symptoms."

[Make7]

1. Sounds promising. ( n/t )

[appalachiablue]

2. K/R

[Guilded Lilly]

3. (Shades of Flowers for Algernon.) Hope it progresses!

[napi21]

4. That would be GREAT NEWS! But I have to ask, how do they tell if a mouse has dementia? nt

[demosincebirth]

5. My exact thought.

[intrepidity]

6. There are memory tests

Like, reciting 5 words, person, woman, man...

No, but there are memory tests, like seeing if they can remember where a platform in a swimming pool is, to get out of the water (Morris Water Maze test). Things like that.