X-Message-Number: 9297
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Refreshment For The Brain?
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 10:12:50 -0800

I found the below copied article in our local paper of today.  I have 
since unsuccessfully tried to search PubMed for a substantiating 
abstract, but may somebody with access to the Journal of Science can 
verify the content of said article.

Headline: (Quote)  Herb sparks brain research

Toronto - Canadian Press  Dr. You Ming Lu's cutting-edge studies 
of the brain chemistry behind memory and learning found their 
roots in an ancient wisdom.

"I was looking at a plant used for the purpose of  treating (brain 
disorders) in traditional Chinese Medicine" says Lu, 35, a 
graduate student at the University of Toronto.

"And I isolated a chemical in that plant used by traditional 
Chinese-medicine (practitioners) to treat epilepsy."

The discovery of this seizure-alleviating chemical inspired him 
to do more brain research.

Lu is the lead author of a paper in the journal of science 
identifying the brain chemical that literally starts us thinking. 
Lu and his colleagues showed that SRC, a natural human enzyme, 
initiated construction of the brain pathways that store and 
process information.  

SRC sets off a chemical cascade  - a sort of neuro-molecular 
chain reaction - that allows information carrying electrical 
impulses to bridge the tiny synaptic gaps between the brain's 
neuron cells.

Once bridged, the synaptic pathways remain open for future use as 
long term memory or learning conduits.

This discovery, team members say, could lead to the development 
of drugs, that would enhance our ability to learn and memorize - 
in effect, make us smarter.

Neurobiolgist John Roder, who was Lu's supervisor on the project, 
say drugs that could mimic SRC activities might allow weakened 
minds to re-invigorate themselves.

"If they could successfully use a pharmaceutical to tickle these 
(brain chemical) pathways... you could give patients, who might 
have learning impairments or Alzheimer's disease, memory loss or 
even, college students studying for exams," says Roder.
(End of Quote)

Best,

Olaf

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