The "Glue" That Holds Memories Together
The "Glue" That Holds Memories Together A recent breakthrough in neuroscience has revealed how our brain keeps long-term memories intact, offering exciting possibilities for enhancing memory and treating memory-related conditions like Alzheimer's. The key players in this discovery are two proteins, KIBRA and PKMζ , which work together to strengthen and preserve memory connections in the brain. The Challenge of Memory Retention One of the biggest mysteries in brain science has been understanding how memories can last for years, even though the proteins in our brain constantly break down and are replaced. Neurons store information at synapses (the connections between neurons), but these synaptic proteins degrade within days, raising the question: How do we keep memories alive for decades when their building blocks are so short-lived? The answer, as it turns out, lies in the interaction between KIBRA and PKMζ. But what are they? KIBRA and PKMζ: The Memory-Strength...