Gene Therapy Restores 'Lost' Memories in Mice by Reprogramming Neurons

EPFL researchers partially reprogrammed mouse neurons using Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4, returning engrams to a youthful state. The therapy restored memory in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, offering a potential path for treating Alzheimer's disease.

• OSK therapy pulsed Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4 genes via an engineered viral switch
• Only engram cells storing specific memories were targeted
• Memory performance in the dentate gyrus returned to young control levels
• Memories formed weeks earlier were recovered in the medial prefrontal cortex