The ability to recognize friends and family – known as social memory – is often one of the earliest and moast heartbreaking losses for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, impacting both patients and their loved ones. Now, researchers are exploring novel approaches to protect this critical cognitive function, moving beyond conventional methods of directly targeting brain plaques. A new study from the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech pinpoints a specific brain structure, perineuronal nets, as key to social memory and identifies potential drug candidates to safeguard it, offering a promising new avenue for intervention in a disease affecting over 6 million Americans [[Alzheimer’s Association]]. This research suggests protecting these structures coudl preserve a crucial part of a patient’s quality of life.
Protecting social memory – the ability to recognize loved ones – remains a critical and deeply challenging aspect of treating Alzheimer’s disease. Recent international research is shedding new light on potential pathways for intervention, from safeguarding the structures surrounding neurons to understanding the complex interplay between muscles and the brain. These discoveries suggest that preserving memory may involve approaches beyond directly targeting the brain itself.
Researchers at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech have identified a promising new approach: protecting the perineuronal nets, delicate structures that envelop neurons and regulate brain communication. Their work demonstrates that the degradation of these nets selectively impairs social memory, leaving the ability to recognize objects intact. This mirrors what clinicians observe in Alzheimer’s patients, where recognizing a family member’s face can become more difficult than recognizing everyday objects.
“Finding a structural change that explains a specific memory loss in Alzheimer’s is very exciting,” said study coordinator Harald Sontheimer. “This represents a completely new target, and we already have potential drug candidates to test.”
The team tested matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors (Mmps) – compounds already studied in cancer research – on mice. Blocking the breakdown of perineuronal nets helped the animals retain their ability to remember other mice. This finding suggests a potential therapeutic avenue for preserving social recognition in Alzheimer’s disease.
“When we protected these brain structures from the beginning of the disease process, mice affected by the condition were better able to remember their social interactions,” explained researcher Lata Chaunsali. The research underscores the importance of early intervention in preserving cognitive function and highlights the potential of targeting specific brain structures to combat the effects of Alzheimer’s.
