HIV drug may reverse memory loss as people age, say scientists
MEMORY loss in older age could be reversed using a readily available HIV drug, scientists hope, as they plan to begin human trials on the subject.
Researchers at the University of California (UCLA) have found a key gene that prunes needless memories and found that switching it off boosts recall.
Crucially, the gene also encodes the receptor which HIV needs to enter cells, and a drug called maraviroc is already available to silence its effect.
The findings suggest that the drug could be a simple way to strengthen memory in middle age and a possible early intervention for dementia.
“Our next step will be to organise a clinical trial to test maraviroc’s influence on early memory loss with the goal of early intervention,” said Alcino Silva, professor of neurobiology, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, and psychology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“Once we fully understand how memory declines, we possess the potential to slow down the process.”
Brains store memories in groups so that the recollection of one significant event triggers the recall of others. However, as people age, brains lose this ability to make connections making it harder to maintain a healthy memory.
Researchers studied middle-aged mice to discover which parts of the brain were active when memories were linking with each other.
They found that when the gene CCR5 was overly active it interfered with memory linkage, leading the mice to forget the difference between two cages. In contrast, when the CCR5 gene was deleted they could link memories once more. Giving the mice maraviroc had the same effect.
“Our memories are a huge part of who we are,” Prof Silva said. “The ability to link related experiences teaches us how to stay safe and operate successfully in the world.”
The research was published in Nature, the science journal.