SAN JOSE: Scientists have discovered that the buildup of the beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) protein in the blood and the brain causes age-related memory impairment.
Blocking the buildup of this protein may slow down or even prevent age-related memory deterioration.
Although many protein levels fluctuate with age, the researchers found evidence in other studies that linked B2M levels to age-related disorders. To see how B2M affected memory, the researchers injected young mice with the protein before having them perform various tasks.
In the first task, the mice had to find a platform that was hidden just below the surface in a water maze. Over the trials, the control mice made only one or two mistakes, while the mice injected with B2M made an average of five. The effect was even more pronounced when B2M was injected directly in the mice’s brains.
In the next task, the researchers put the mice in a chamber and gave them a small electric shock after two minutes. The next day, the mice were returned to the chamber. The control mice, recognizing their environment, froze approximately 50% to 60% of the time in the first minute. The B2M mice only froze 25% to 30% of the time, suggesting the protein impaired their memories of the electric shock.