Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026
10:37
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS for Memory Enhancement
Published on: September 18, 2021
16.2K
TORC2: a novel target for treating age-associated memory impairment
Jennifer L Johnson1,2, Wei Huang1,2, Gregg Roman3,4
1Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Scientific Reports
|October 23, 2015
Summary
Age-related memory loss is linked to declining mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 (mTORC2) activity. Activating mTORC2 or actin polymerization can restore long-term memory, offering new treatment avenues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Age-related memory decline is a growing global health concern.
- Molecular mechanisms underlying memory loss with aging are not fully understood.
- The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 (mTORC2) is a recently discovered pathway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of mTORC2 in age-related memory decline.
- To explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting mTORC2 for memory enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Assessed mTORC2 activity in the brains of aged fruit flies and rodents.
- Investigated the link between mTORC2, actin polymerization, and memory.
- Administered a small molecule activator of mTORC2 (A-443654) to aged animals.
- Pharmacologically boosted mTORC2 and actin polymerization.
Main Results:
- mTORC2 activity decreases with age in the brain.
- Loss of mTORC2-mediated actin polymerization contributes to age-associated memory loss.
- Treatment with an mTORC2 activator reversed long-term memory deficits in aged mice and flies.
- Enhancing mTORC2 or actin polymerization improved long-term memory.
Conclusions:
- Age-related memory loss involves a decline in mTORC2 activity and actin polymerization.
- Targeting mTORC2 represents a novel therapeutic strategy for cognitive disorders.
- Restoring structural plasticity offers a new approach to combatting memory decline.
More Related Videos
08:52Novel Object Recognition Test for the Investigation of Learning and Memory in Mice
Published on: August 30, 2017
78.6K
09:45Motor and Hippocampal Dependent Spatial Learning and Reference Memory Assessment in a Transgenic Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease with Stroke
Published on: March 22, 2016
10.9K
Related Concept Videos
01:22Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
1.2K
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
1.2K
01:23Role of Neurotransmitters in Memory
2.9K
Neurotransmitters are integral to the brain's communication system, enabling neurons to transmit signals across synapses. This chemical exchange underpins various cognitive functions, including memory processes. The role of neurotransmitters in memory is multifaceted, influencing the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of memories through their action on different neural circuits.
Glutamate and Synaptic Plasticity
Glutamate, the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, is...
Glutamate and Synaptic Plasticity
Glutamate, the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, is...
2.9K
01:26Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
2.0K
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a continually advancing neurodegenerative disorder, distinguished by escalating memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. The disease unfolds in three stages: preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Its onset is insidious, and the progression gradual, with the cause not well explained by other disorders.
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
2.0K
01:30Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
847
Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function.
847
01:14Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory
1.5K
The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...
1.5K
01:46Electron Transport Chain: Complex I and II
19.6K
The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is the main energy generation system in the eukaryotic cells. However, mitochondria also produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to the large electron flow during oxidative phosphorylation. While Complex I is one of the primary sources of superoxide radicals, ROS production by Complex II is uncommon and may only be observed in cancer cells with mutated complexes.
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
ROS generation is regulated and maintained at moderate levels necessary...
19.6K