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It is a well-known fact that aging and mental health problems cause memory loss. However, until now, little has been done to target this problem.
Researchers at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto have developed promising new therapeutic molecules not only to address the memory loss badociated with these problems, but also to renew the underlying brain deficiencies.
"At the present time, there is no medication to treat cognitive symptoms, such as memory loss related to depression, other mental illnesses and aging," said the Dr. Etienne Sibille, Deputy Director of the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH. study.
The development was not easy to achieve. In fact, several studies and steps have been necessary to deliver these therapeutic molecules.
Sibille and his team began their work by identifying first the specific alterations of brain cell receptors in the neurotransmitter GABA system, as well as the symptoms of mood and memory they caused in depression and depression. aging. Once this research is done, researchers could specifically target the molecules that would activate the altered brain receptors responsible for memory loss.
As such, the team developed new, small but potent molecules, which were chemical modifications of benzodiazepines. These therapeutic molecules were created to bind to the GABA receptor target and activate it, essentially by "fixing" any related impairment.
Impressive results
The effects during the tests were quite impressive. A single dose of these new molecules, administered in preclinical models of stress-induced memory loss, has restored memory to a normal level. 30 minutes. The experiment was undertaken more than 15 times always with the same results.
In another experiment, researchers were able to improve memory performance by 80 percent, essentially reaching the levels observed in young people or young adults. Better still, the significant improvement could be maintained for two months with a simple daily treatment.
"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," Sibille said.
"We have shown that our molecules enter the brain, are safe, activate target cells and reverse the cognitive deficit badociated with memory loss."
Sibille hopes to start testing molecules in clinical research within two years. If these next steps prove successful, the potential applications of these therapeutic molecules are vast and of crucial importance.
For starters, they could fill gaps in the treatment of cognitive impairment in mental illness. However, the molecules could go beyond the treatment of depression and aging to target even brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
The latest study of this ongoing research is published in Molecular neuropsychiatry.
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