Calcium Channel Blockers May Be Effective in Treating Memory Loss in Alzheimer's Disease

A study published in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience found treating a diseased neuron with a blocker of the L-type channel reduced the flow of calcium ions into the brain cell, which could have applications to treating memory loss in Alzheimer's victims, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers administered the fluorescent molecule GCaMP6f, which details the amount of calcium ions in brain cells, to fruit flies. They observed that diseased neurons become inundated with calcium ions, because of overproduction of the L-type channel gene. Applying a drug to block the L-type channel reversed the disease and restored the flow of calcium ions to a normal level. Memory tests investigated whether fruit flies could recall which of two odors had previously been paired with an electric shock, and determined the diseased insects' memories were impaired. Correcting overproduction of L-type channels reversed this effect. The researchers recommended further research to define the underlying mechanism of memory recovery, and assess this method's effectiveness in humans.