기억 되살려 주는 약물 개발 VIDEO: New molecules reverse memory loss linked to depression, aging
New molecules reverse memory loss linked to depression, aging
CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH
New therapeutic molecules developed at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) show promise in reversing the memory loss linked to depression and aging.
New therapeutic molecules developed by Dr. Etienne Sibille at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) show promise in reversing the memory loss linked to depression and aging. These molecules not only rapidly improve symptoms, but remarkably, also appear to renew the underlying brain impairments causing memory loss in preclinical models.
VIDEO:
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/192850.php
기억 되살려 주는 약물 개발 에티엔느 시빌 캐나다 중독정신건강연구소(CAMH) 부소장 연구팀 젊은 시절의 기억력을 되찾아주는 약물이 개발됐다. 노화나 질환으로 인해 기억과 관련된 뇌기능이 떨어진 사람들에게 희소식이 될 것이란 기대를 모은다. 상단 사진 설명: 캐나다 연구팀이 젊은 시절 기억력을 되찾아주는 약물을 개발했다. 기억력 감퇴증상을 보이는 쥐에게 벤조디아제핀 계열의 약물을 복용시켰더니 30분만에 건강한 쥐의 수준으로 기억력을 회복했다. 중독정신건강연구소 제공.
연구팀이 기억력이 떨어지는 증상을 보이는 쥐에게 먹인 벤조디아제핀은 불안과 불면증 치료에 쓰이는 중추신경 억제 계열의 약물로 정신 안정제용 화합물이다. 약물을 복용시킨 쥐에게 미로를 빠져나오게 하는 실험을 진행했다.
약물을 투여한 쥐의 뇌세포가 재생된 모습.중독정신건강연구소 제공. 연구팀은 기억력 감퇴증상을 앓고 있던 쥐의 기억력이 약물을 투여한지 30분만에 건강한 쥐의 수준으로 회복한 것을 확인했다. 약물을 투여한 쥐는 기억력이 젊은 때와 같은 수준으로 돌아와 미로 탈출에 성공했다. 기억력이 젊은 시절보다 50%로 떨어진 쥐의 기억력이 80%까지 회복된 것으로 나타났다. 노화와 질환으로 크기가 줄어든 뇌도 원래대로 돌아와 뇌세포 재생의 효과도 있는 것으로 나타났다. 시빌 CAMH 부소장은 “약물을 통해 알츠하이머 치매 초기 발생하는 기억력 감퇴를 예방할 수 있다"며 "2년 내 우울증이 있는 성인과 노년층을 대상으로 임상시험을 진행할 계획"이라고 밝혔다. 고재원 기자 jawon1212@donga.com 동아사이언스 |
edited by kcontents
These molecules not only rapidly improve symptoms, but remarkably, also appear to renew the underlying brain impairments causing memory loss in preclinical models. These findings were presented today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Washington DC.
"Currently there are no medications to treat cognitive symptoms such as memory loss that occur in depression, other mental illnesses and aging," says Dr. Etienne Sibille, Deputy Director of the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH and lead scientist on the study.
What's unique and promising about these findings, in the face of many failures in drug development for mental illness, is that the compounds are highly targeted to activate the impaired brain receptors that are causing memory loss, he says.
ScienceDaily
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It took a series of studies - the most recent appearing in January 2019 in Molecular Neuropsychiatry - to reach this stage. First, Dr. Sibille and his team identified the specific impairments to brain cell receptors in the GABA neurotransmitter system. Then they showed that these impairments likely caused mood and memory symptoms in depression and in aging.
A single dose of these new molecules was administered in preclinical models of stress-induced memory loss. Thirty minutes later, memory performance returned to normal levels, an experiment that was reproduced more than 15 times. In another experiment involving preclinical models of aging, memory declines were rapidly reversed and performance increased to 80 per cent after administration, essentially reaching levels seen in youth or earlier stages of adulthood. This improvement lasted over two months with daily treatment.
"The aged cells regrew to appear the same as young brain cells, showing that our novel molecules can modify the brain in addition to improving symptoms," says Dr. Sibille. He expects to start testing the molecules in clinical research in two years. "We've shown that our molecules enter the brain, are safe, activate the target cells and reverse the cognitive deficit of memory loss."
If successful, the potential applications are broad. Not only is there a lack of treatment for cognitive deficits in mental illness, but the brain improvements suggest the molecules could help to prevent the memory loss at the beginning of Alzheimer's disease, potentially delaying its onset.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/cfaa-nm021319.php
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