A new drug that reverses aging-related memory loss for human testing

A drug designed to reverse the daily forgetfulness that is created in middle age will soon enter clinical trials on humans.

The "senior moments" – misplacing the keys, forgetting the faces and wondering why we entered a room are one of the disadvantages of life for the over 50s.

Considered a normal part of aging, promising research has shown that it will soon be possible to restore brain cells in their juvenile vigor.

It is hoped that the research will produce a daily pill that would keep older brains and a potential treatment for mild cognitive impairment observed in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Clinical trials of the drug should take place within two years.

The promising new treatment was found to work in aging mice – improving their memories to levels seen in much younger animals.

Scientists from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto presented their research Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington DC.

Dr. Etienne Sibille, scientific leader of the study, said: "Currently, there is no medication to treat cognitive symptoms such as memory loss related to depression, to others. mental illnesses and aging. "

The new drug is a type of benzodiazepine – better known as the anti-anxiety and depression drug Valium.

But unlike drugs like Valium, which have a wide range of effects, the "modified" version of the drug is able to specifically target memory-related brain cell damage, Dr. Sibille said.

Dr. Sibille said, "Our findings have direct consequences for poor knowledge of normal aging. This includes learning and memory, executive functions, decision making and planning. & # 39;

He added: "The studies in humans are not yet complete, but we are planning our first human safety trial in about 2 years.

"The first indication after this will be the test in depressed adult subjects. This will be followed by studies in older people.

"In the future, it might be thought that this treatment could be beneficial for people aged 55 to 60 who may subsequently experience cognitive problems.

"Ideally, it will be a pill a day." Dr. Sibille's team has identified a dysfunction in the chemicals used to convey messages in the brains of mice.

They then invented a new chemical compound to specifically target the degradation of brain cells.

The new molecules reversed the memory loss in the stressed mice – and 30 minutes after the treatment, the mice performed normal tests allowing them to remember the layout of the labyrinths.

In another experiment, the memory losses observed in aging mice were rapidly reversed and the performance was increased to 80% after drug administration.

The authors stated that the performance of mice reached "essentially the levels observed in young people or the early stages of adulthood". The improvement lasted more than two months with daily treatment.

Dr. Sibille said, "Older cells have regained the appearance of young brain cells, which shows that our new molecules can alter the brain in addition to improving symptoms.

"We have shown that our molecules enter the brain, are safe, activate target cells and reverse the cognitive deficit associated with memory loss."

In a separate study, Daniela Kaufer of the University of California at Berkeley presented a study that showed that depression was aging the brain for 10 years.

One of the effects of aging the brain is the loosening of the blood-brain barrier, which means that more bacteria and other normally-filtered elements reach the brain.

The resulting brain inflammation disrupts the brain processes, said Professor Kaufer.