You may finally be able to wipe out your bad memories, scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University believe.
A drug, fingolimod, used to treat multiple sclerosis may pave the way for a pill that can erase bad memories, Press Trust of India reported.
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, mice that were given the drug had enhanced "memory extinction" of previous experiences that had caused pain.
By eradicating memories of traumatic events from years ago and helping patients overcome phobias, eating disorders and even sexual hang-ups, the effects of the drug can also be applied to humans, UK MailOnline reported.
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, The Times reported.
Fingolimod crossed the blood-brain barrier and was faster at extinguishing "previously acquired fear memories" when it was fed to the mice.
"They were put in a chamber where their feet were exposed to a mild electric shock, and when returned to the cage their 'freezing' behavior was recorded as a measure of anxiety," UK MailOnline reported.
"This complete lack of movement, a characteristic fear response in rodents providing a good readout of memory, subsided rapidly after receiving the drug."
"Fingolimod, a Food and Drug Administration approved drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis, has beneficial effects in the central nervous system that are not yet well understood," Spiegel said.
"Fingolimod deserves consideration as an adjuvant therapy for post traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders."
