Scientists at the University of Virginia may have uncovered why Alzheimer's patients sometimes forget even their closest loved ones—a discovery that could pave the way for new treatments. The study published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, led by Dr. Harald Sontheimer and graduate student Lata Chaunsali, points to the breakdown of protective "nets" around brain cells as the culprit. These so-called perineuronal nets act as barriers around neurons, helping them communicate and store memories, including those tied to family and friends. When these nets degrade in lab mice, however, social memory, or the ability to recognize other known mice, appears to vanish, even if object memory remains, per InsideNOVA.com.
This mirrors what happens in people with Alzheimer's. On the bright side, the UVA team found that by using a class of drugs called matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors, already being explored for cancer and arthritis, they could prevent the nets from breaking down in mice. "When we kept these brain structures safe early in life, the mice suffering from this disease were better at remembering their social interactions," Chaunsali says, per New Atlas. Though more research is needed to determine whether the approach is safe and effective for humans, the hope is that it will work. As Chaunsali notes, "our research will help us get closer to finding a new, non-traditional way to treat—or, better yet, prevent—Alzheimer's disease."
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