An experimental cancer drug which may encourage the production of important brain proteins that can aid memory could lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, say US researchers. Scientists at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) and the Marine Biological Laboratory found that introducing the cancer drug bryostatin into marine snails improved long-term memory by stimulating the production of proteins that build the memory network in the brain. The researchers concluded that the discovery could lead to a significant breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease, which prevents sufferers from storing long-term memories.
