How scientists are creating super-smart mice, like something out of science fiction
Today in “crazy awesome things being done in the name of science,” researchers have genetically engineered mice to be ultra smart. And no, not so that they can make Ratatouille happen IRL (though we’re still holding out for that wonderful reality). The reason scientists are giving mice super smarts is actually even more awesome than that; they’re searching for the treatment of disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
So how does this work, exactly? In a study published today in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, British and Canadian scientists discovered that changing a single gene to block the phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) enzyme, which is found in various organs in the body (including the brain), made the mice not only smarter, but also less anxious. So much for “timid as a mouse.”
In the study, which involved Swansea University Medical School, University of Leeds, and Mount Sinai Hospital, the researchers ran several tests on the sans-PDE4B mice and found that, compared to normal mice, they learned faster, remembered events for longer, and solved complex problems better. The PDE4B-inhibited mice even were able to recognize a mouse they had seen the day before (OK, that’s the cutest sentence ever).
So although the concept of super-smart mice that can recognize their mouse friends is adorable, what purpose did this serve? Based on their findings, the researchers are developing drugs related to cognitive function that will inhibit that PDE4B enzyme in hopes that they will be effective in humans (though first, they’ll be tested on animals). “Cognitive impairments are currently poorly treated, so I’m excited that our work using mice has identified [PDE4B] as a promising target for potential new treatments,” study leader Steve Clapcote, a lecturer in pharmacology at Britain’s Leeds University.
The sans-PDE4B mice experienced less fear in that they forgot about fearful events faster than normal mice, and they suffered less anxiety because they chose to spend their time more often in brighter, open spaces than the normal mice, which gravitated more towards darker, enclosed spaces, according to the researchers. Another important thing to note: The modified mice showed less fear when exposed to cat urine, suggesting that inhibiting PDE4B could lead to more risk-taking.
“This is an exciting development that is an outcome of a strong and enduring international collaboration,” said Dr. Jonathan Mullins, Dr. Jonathan Mullins, head of the Genome and Structural Bioinformatics Group at Swansea University’s Medical School, who carried out the molecular modelling of the structure of the PDE4B enzyme. “It moves our understanding of the role and molecular function of PDE4B forward considerably, promoting a protein we acknowledged as being metabolically important into a promising drug for many debilitating disorders.”
Oh, science. You continue to amaze us.
(Image via Pixar.)
