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Study to strengthen bilberry-cancer link
A series of clinical trials underway in the UK to test the anti-cancer effects of bilberry extracts offer a potential boost to the anthocyanidin-rich extracts.
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In the current experiment, the researchers found that the stimulating environment did not lead the mice to grow new brain cells in the hippocampus. It did, however, stimulate the growth of new connections, or synapses, between the brain cells that remained. This rich network of brain cell connections may have restored their ability to learn new things and also revived lost memories in the mice.
The investigators also discovered that environmental enrichment is associated with the prevention of a chemical alteration that occurs in a protein called histone, which is associated with our DNA. This chemical alteration occurs during the aging process, and the enzyme responsible for it is called HDAC, for histone deacetylase.
When the researchers blocked HDAC with a drug-like compound, the chemical change in histone was prevented and the mice were able to learn and remember. Remarkably, this occurred even without environmental enrichment. In other words, the compound blocked the enzyme HDAC, and this mimicked the effects of environmental enrichment. So the researchers may have identified the mechanism by which environmental enrichment rescues learning and memory.
The hope is that, with more testing, brain cell connections might be rejuvenated in men and women with memory problems. This could lead to a new treatment that boosts connections between remaining brain cells, and revives memory, in those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.
This study is a provocative example of how basic laboratory research is expanding our understanding of how the brain works. The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation funds critical laboratory research into the underlying causes of memory loss. Such research is essential for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. By alzinfo.org
The investigators also discovered that environmental enrichment is associated with the prevention of a chemical alteration that occurs in a protein called histone, which is associated with our DNA. This chemical alteration occurs during the aging process, and the enzyme responsible for it is called HDAC, for histone deacetylase.
When the researchers blocked HDAC with a drug-like compound, the chemical change in histone was prevented and the mice were able to learn and remember. Remarkably, this occurred even without environmental enrichment. In other words, the compound blocked the enzyme HDAC, and this mimicked the effects of environmental enrichment. So the researchers may have identified the mechanism by which environmental enrichment rescues learning and memory.
The hope is that, with more testing, brain cell connections might be rejuvenated in men and women with memory problems. This could lead to a new treatment that boosts connections between remaining brain cells, and revives memory, in those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.
This study is a provocative example of how basic laboratory research is expanding our understanding of how the brain works. The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation funds critical laboratory research into the underlying causes of memory loss. Such research is essential for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. By alzinfo.org
A series of clinical trials underway in the UK to test the anti-cancer effects of bilberry extracts offer a potential boost to the anthocyanidin-rich extracts.
posted by Valery Yermalitsky at
11:29 AM
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