Collaborative Study with Significant Implications
This is the result of a study released in the journal Science Advances, which includes the Catholic University, Rome, and the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. The study was collaborated by Claudio Grassi, Full Professor of Physiology and Director of the Department of Neuroscience.
The research, supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, the American Alzheimers Association Foundation, and the Italian Ministry of Health, has fantastic prospective applications, by improving our understanding of memory function and facilitating the recognition of innovative services for neuropsychiatric illness like dementia.
The Role of LIMK1 in Memory Processes
The LIMK1 protein plays an important function in identifying structural modifications in nerve cells, particularly the development of dendritic spines, which boost info transmission in neural networks and are crucial in learning and memory processes.
Prof. Claudio Grassi, senior author of the research study, explains: “Memory is a complex procedure that involves modifications in synapses, which are the connections in between neurons, in particular brain areas such as the hippocampus, which is a neural structure playing a vital role in memory formation.
” This phenomenon, called synaptic plasticity, includes modifications in the structure and function of synapses that occur when a neural circuit is triggered, for instance, by sensory experiences. These experiences promote the activation of complex signaling paths involving many proteins” Prof. Grassi includes.
” Some of these proteins are especially essential for memory, in fact, minimized expression or adjustments of these proteins are associated with changes in cognitive functions. Among these proteins is LIMK1. The objective of our research study was to control the activity of this protein, as it plays a crucial function in the maturation of dendritic spinal columns between neurons. Managing LIMK1 with a drug means having the ability to promote synaptic plasticity and, therefore, the physiological processes that depend on it,” Prof. Grassi emphasizes.
Chemogenetic Strategy: A New Approach to Memory Enhancement
Cristian Ripoli, Associate Professor of Physiology at the Catholic University, and first author of the study, includes: “The key to this innovative chemogenetic strategy, which combines genes and chemistry, is exactly connected to using rapamycin”, an immunosuppressive drug known to increase life span and for its useful effects on the brain, in preclinical designs.”
” We have therefore customized the series of the LIMK1 protein by placing a molecular switch that allowed us to trigger it, on command, through the administration of rapamycin,” Prof. Ripoli emphasizes.
” In animals with age-related cognitive decline, utilizing this gene therapy to customize the LIMK1 protein and activate it with the drug resulted in a substantial memory enhancement. This method enables us to manipulate synaptic plasticity procedures and memory in pathological and physiological conditions. It paves the method for the development of additional engineered proteins that might transform research study and therapy in the field of neurology,” the specialist emphasizes.
” The next action will be to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment in experimental designs of neurodegenerative illness displaying memory deficits, such as Alzheimers disease. Additional research studies will likewise be essential to confirm using this technology in human beings,” Prof. Grassi concludes.
Referral: “Engineering memory with an extrinsically disordered kinase” by Cristian Ripoli, Onur Dagliyan, Pietro Renna, Francesco Pastore, Fabiola Paciello, Raimondo Sollazzo, Marco Rinaudo, Martina Battistoni, Sara Martini, Antonella Tramutola, Andrea Sattin, Eugenio Barone, Takeo Saneyoshi, Tommaso Fellin, Yasunori Hayashi and Claudio Grassi, 15 November 2023, Science Advances.DOI: 10.1126/ sciadv.adh1110.
Researchers have actually established a new memory research development by genetically modifying the LIMK1 protein and activating it with rapamycin. This innovative method shows possible in treating memory-related neuropsychiatric diseases and advancing neurology research.
Scientists from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the Catholic University, Rome and the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS have established an engineered protein that boosts memory.
Neuroscientists at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University, Rome, and the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS have genetically modified a molecule, the protein LIMK1, which is normally active in the brain, with a crucial function in memory.
They included a “molecular switch” that is triggered by administering a drug, rapamycin, understood for its a number of anti-aging impacts on the brain.
” Some of these proteins are especially essential for memory, in truth, decreased expression or adjustments of these proteins are associated with alterations in cognitive functions. One of these proteins is LIMK1.” In animals with age-related cognitive decrease, using this gene therapy to modify the LIMK1 protein and activate it with the drug resulted in a significant memory enhancement. This method enables us to control synaptic plasticity processes and memory in pathological and physiological conditions. It paves the way for the advancement of further crafted proteins that could transform research and therapy in the field of neurology,” the professional stresses.
