Jan 27, 2026 02:51 AM
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1114085
INTRO: Why some memories persist while others vanish has fascinated scientists for more than a century. Now, new research from the Stowers Institute has identified the mechanism that makes a fleeting moment unforgettable. In a study that culminates more than 20 years of work, Stowers scientists have provided the first direct evidence that the nervous system can deliberately form amyloids to help turn sensory experiences into lasting memories.
The research forces us to rethink long-standing assumptions about memory and the consequence of amyloid formation in the brain, potentially providing new avenues for treating amyloid-related disorders of the nervous system.
“I wanted to understand how unstable proteins help create stable memories,” said Stowers Institute Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D. “And now, we have definitive evidence that there are processes within the nervous system that can take a protein and make it form an amyloid at a very specific time, in a specific place, and in response to a specific experience." (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: Why some memories persist while others vanish has fascinated scientists for more than a century. Now, new research from the Stowers Institute has identified the mechanism that makes a fleeting moment unforgettable. In a study that culminates more than 20 years of work, Stowers scientists have provided the first direct evidence that the nervous system can deliberately form amyloids to help turn sensory experiences into lasting memories.
The research forces us to rethink long-standing assumptions about memory and the consequence of amyloid formation in the brain, potentially providing new avenues for treating amyloid-related disorders of the nervous system.
“I wanted to understand how unstable proteins help create stable memories,” said Stowers Institute Scientific Director Kausik Si, Ph.D. “And now, we have definitive evidence that there are processes within the nervous system that can take a protein and make it form an amyloid at a very specific time, in a specific place, and in response to a specific experience." (MORE - details, no ads)