The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: DDL-920 molecule restores memory in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have synthesized a molecule that can restore the memory of mice suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The results of this study were published in the journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The brain generates various electrical impulses to activate and control various body functions. For example, high-frequency gamma waves play an important role in maintaining cognitive health, but research shows that their activeness declines as Alzheimer's disease progresses.

The UCLA researchers have tried to create a drug that can stimulate gamma waves. They found that a molecule called DDL-920 had the desired therapeutic properties. Experiments on lab mice have shown that DDL-920 helps restore memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease.

According to these researchers, DDL-920 acts on certain neuronal receptors, enhancing gamma waves and increasing their speed. Treating the aforesaid mice with DDL-920 for two weeks not only resulted in a considerable recovery of the mice's cognitive functions, but also had no serious side effects.

Study lead author Dr. Istvan Mody, a professor of neurology and physiology at UCLA Health, said that in the future such therapy could be considered as a treatment for some other diseases that are accompanied by a decrease in gamma wave activity. These include schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, and depression.

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