Glue that makes bad memories stick may help with Alzheimer's, study says
By Andrea Thompson
updated 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
Scientists may have found the glue that keeps fearful memories stuck in the brain, a discovery that could be useful in new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.
That glue seems to be a protein that is key to maintaining the structure of cells and also is essential to embryonic development, a new study suggests.
The protein, called beta-catenin, transmits early signals in species ranging from flies to frogs to mice that separate an embryo into front and back or top and bottom. It also acts like Velcro, fastening a cell's internal skeleton to proteins on its external membranes that in turn connect them to other cells.
Previous studies have found other factors that govern our feelings of fear:
One study found a 'fear factor' gene that controls how neurons fire in the brain when mice are faced with impending danger.
Another found that the brain can learn to fear something, such as a bee's sting, when we view someone else's fear.
Another recent study detailed how primates and other mammals learned to fear and avoid snakes.
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