Study suggests age-related memory loss may be reversible in flies
New research shows a protein can restore memory in older fruit flies, while another chaperone with opposite functions impairs young flies, offering a possible mechanism for normal age-related decline
A new study in fruit flies has shown that a protein called Funes can restore age-related memory loss, and that another chaperone with opposite functions impairs memory in young individuals. The work, published in Cell, suggests that memory loss may be tied to a gradual shift of amyloid proteins from a beneficial form to a harmful one, and offers a potential explanation for normal memory decline in aging.