Viruses that are modified to replace a protein in the brain could alleviate symptoms of frontotemporal dementia. The results of the respective tests on mice were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Frontotemporal dementia is an incurable disease in which memory, speech, and personality disorders occur. In 5-12 percent of cases, the disease develops due to the loss of progranulin protein. Also, insoluble toxic proteins accumulate.

In a new study, scientists used viruses that "deliver" the gene encoding the progranulin protein to the brain of mice. The therapy considerably reduced the accumulation of toxic proteins and alleviated dementia symptoms in the mice.