Can we save memories before they slip away?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Alzheimer’s kills brain cells, leading to memory loss and confusion. How can we stop this destruction?
Marta Koper and the team at University Hospital Leuvenin Belgium may have found a hidden culprit. A protein called RIPK1 that attacks and kills brain cells. Scientists gave mice a drug that blocks RIPk1, essentially “turning off” this cell-death switch.
The results? Treated mice improved on memory tests compared to untreated mice. Their brains were healthier, too, with significantly fewer dead cells in key memory areas.
This breakthrough could lead to Alzheimer’s treatments that protect our memories.
Now, that’s unforgettable! But what do lab rats have to remember anyway? Where the cheese was?
Reference: Martens, S., Brouwers, D., Vandewalle, L., et al. (2024). Inhibition of an Alzheimer’s disease-associated form of necroptosis rescues neuronal death in mouse models. Science Translational Medicine, 16(718), adf5128. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adf5128