Wine could boost memory and learning ability
By ANIMonday, July 12, 2010
LONDON - MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has found that Resveratrol, which is found in wine and activates a group of enzymes known as sirtuins, might now help to boost memory and brainpower.
MIT researchers have reported that Sirtuin1which promotes memory and brain flexibility, might also lead to new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other debilitating neurological diseases.
“We demonstrated previously that Sirtuin1 promotes neuronal survival in age-dependent neurodegenerative disorders. In our cell and mouse models for Alzheimer’s disease, SIRT1 promoted neuronal survival, reduced neurodegeneration and prevented learning impairment,” Nature quoted Li-Huei Tsai, lead author of the study, as saying.
“We have now found that SIRT1 activity also promotes plasticity and memory. This result demonstrates a multi-faceted role of SIRT1 in the brain, further highlighting its potential as a target for the treatment of neurodegeneration and conditions with impaired cognition, with implications for a wider range of central nervous system disorders,” said Tsai.
Recent studies linked SIRT1 to normal brain physiology and neurological disorders.
However, it was unknown if SIRT1 played a role in higher-order brain functions.
The Picower study found that SIRT1 aids memory and synaptic plasticity through a previously unknown microRNA-based mechanism: IRT1 keeps a specific microRNA in check, allowing key plasticity proteins to be expressed.
In addition to helping neurons survive, SIRT1 also has a direct role in regulating normal brain function, demonstrating its value as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of the central nervous system.he report is published in the latest issue of Nature. (ANI)
