| DRUGS that act like nicotine could help to restore the memories of patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to American researchers.
They have used a nicotine-like compound to improve the memory of rats, even restoring memory lost as a result of brain damage. Edward Levin, of Duke University in North Carolina, presented the results yesterday to a meeting of the American Society of Neuroscience in Los Angeles.
The compound, developed by the drug company Astra Arcus USA, works by docking to specific sites on the surface of brain cells called acetylcholine receptors. Nicotine and nicotine-like drugs can bind to these receptors, and some studies have shown that they can protect brain cells from deterioration caused by Alzheimer's.
The team tested the compound on rats in a memory task. Normal rats quickly learnt that food was never left in the same spot twice and that it was a waste of time looking. Those with Alzheimer's-type brain damage failed to learn this but showed a significant improvement after being injected with the compound.
There is some evidence that smoking can slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease, although Dr Levin does not recommend that patients take it up. "Our goal is to find a nicotine-like substance that will give the beneficial effects of nicotine without the harmful side-effects or addictive ability," he said.
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