Drugs to Improve Synaptic Transmission

About 5% of the general population over the age of 65 suffers from Alzheimer's disease for which there is no known treatment. Synaptic connections in the hippocampus, a brain region known to be important for learning and memory are especially vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. This presumably reflects the loss of memory that is a characteristic of early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, one strategy for reducing the memory loss would be to enhance synaptic efficacy at the synapses remaining on the slowly atrophying neurons. A research scientist at the University of California has discovered a drug that are effective in inducing long term potentiation of synaptic transmission. This activity has been demonstrated in transverse slices cut from hippocampi of 4-8 week old mice. The drug was effective in concentrations similar to what is likely to be reached in the brain following peripheral administration. In addition, the findings of an extensive series of experiments with mice indicate that the administration of the drug either before or after training in two types of learning tasks produces dose dependant enhancement of retention on retention tests given 48 hours after training. What is particularly significant is the fact that the researchers were able to predict such memory enhancement based upon the hippocampus slice studies showing the inducement of long term potentiation

Patents:
US 7,081,474

Type of Offer: Licensing



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