Is our memory stored in brain cells?

Studies suggest that memory is likely to be stored in the brain cells. If this conclusion is correct, it will bring major breakthrough for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The main manifestation of patients Post-traumatic stress disorder is that patients will continue to suffer painful memories of the intrusion.

More than a decade ago, scientists began to use a drug called propranolol for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Propranolol can block the synthesis of some proteins that are essential for long-term memory. Therefore, this drug was thought to prevent new memory from forming. Unfortunately, through research using recombinant human proteins, researcher got that unless taking the drug immediately after the painful event happens, otherwise people will still have unpleasant memories. Recently, studies have shown that when a person recalls a memory, the re-activated connection is not only enhanced, but will temporarily become easier to change - this process is called memory reconsolidation. The use of propranolol can prevent memory reconsolidation and clear the related synapses.

The researchers applied a slight electrical stimulation to the sea hare to make them form the memory of the event and new synapses in brain. Then, they transferred the neurons of sea hare into culture dish and chemically triggered this memory, followed by the application of propranolol.

As with earlier studies, propranolol cleared this memory-related synapse. However, when the memories of these cells were triggered again, the memory was fully recovered within 48 hours. So they guessed that the memory was not completely stored in the synapse.

Scientists carefully checked the neurons and found that although the synapse has been cleared, but the molecular and chemical changes within cells were retained. It may be that these permanent changes leave traces of memory. Another possibility is that memory is encoded by epigenetic modifications in the DNA of cells, and these modifications will affect the way genes are expressed. Researchers are inclined to the latter explanation.

New research has shown that drug therapy is unlikely to drive the painful memory of patients with PTSD, even though it is just getting started. The researchers said, "If you asked me about whether PTSD could treat with drugs two years ago, I would probably answer yes. But now I do not think so. The new discovery that memory is stored in cells may contribute to the treatment of another memory-related disease - Alzheimer's disease. Flarebio offers recombinant proteins of good quality such as recombinant ACSL3.