Scientists have found that a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis may pave the way for a pill that can erase bad memories.
Researchers have found that mice given fingolimod, a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of multiple sclerosis, had enhanced ‘memory extinction’ of previous experiences that had caused pain.
If the effects of the drug apply to humans, it may offer new treatment options for sufferers of post-traumatic stress, phobias and eating disorders.
Fingolimod, available as a tablet under the brand name Gilenya, treats remitting forms of MS by suppressing the immune system.
Sarah Spiegel, of the Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, and colleagues found that it can also inhibit an enzyme called histone deacetylase, a key protein that regulates gene expression.
When fed to mice, fingolimod crossed the blood-brain barrier and was faster at extinguishing “previously acquired fear memories”.
