In a new study, researchers found that memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be able to be restored.
The findings could pave the way toward new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
The research was conducted by a team at the University at Buffalo.
Alzheimer’s disease alters the expression of genes in the prefrontal cortex, a key region of the brain controlling cognitive processes and executive functions.
By focusing on gene changes caused by epigenetic processes (those that are not related to changes in DNA sequences) such as aging, the team was able to reverse high levels of harmful genes that cause memory deficits in AD.
The current research extends the work the team reported in 2019, in which they were able to reverse the loss of genes beneficial to cognitive function in AD.
In this new study, the team reported that it has reversed the upregulation of genes involved in impairing cognitive function.
They found that H3K4me3, which is linked to the activation of gene transcription, is strongly elevated in the prefrontal cortex of people with AD and mouse models of the disease.
The researchers found that when the AD mouse models were treated with a compound that inhibits those enzymes, they exhibited significantly improved cognitive function.
This finding points to the potential of drugs for AD treatment, which may have a broad and powerful impact.
The findings may also help fight against other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
One author of the study is Zhen Yan, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.
The study is published in Science Advances.
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