Fruit fly gene could hold clues in dementia research
9/9/2010
Researchers from the US have identified a gene that may shed light on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
According to the latest edition of the Neuron journal, the gene responsible for memory formation in the fruit fly has been discovered.
Fruit flies are a usual organism to research as their brains work with similar pathways to humans - previous studies have used to identify genes responsible for schizophrenia.
Ron Davis, chair of Scripps Research Department of Neuroscience who led the study, said the study could offer significant insight into human conditions.
"We're still early in the process of making connections between Drosophila [fruit fly] memory and learning genes and the pathology of human disease, but it's already clear that many of these genes will provide important conceptual information," he said.
A new study by Oxford University has claimed that vitamin B could help to prevent the development of dementia.