了解记忆增强机制，对于拓宽我们关于记忆过程的知识、对于潜在临床应用都至关重要。然而对此我们却知之甚少。现在，用大鼠所做实验表明，施用“胰岛素样生长因子-II” (IGF-II) （一般与身体组织生长和修复有关的蛋白），可以显著增强记忆保持、促进被称为“长时程增强”的记忆指标和防止忘记。IGF-II通过启动能导致“突触增强”的信号级联网络发挥作用，在紧接着学习之后的短时间内最为有效。因此，IGF-II是调控认知增强的一个潜在目标。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
Nature doi:10.1038/nature09667
A critical role for IGF-II in memory consolidation and enhancement
Dillon Y. Chen,Sarah A. Stern,Ana Garcia-Osta,Bernadette Saunier-Rebori,Gabriella Pollonini,Dhananjay Bambah-Mukku,Robert D. Blitzer& Cristina M. Alberini
We report that, in the rat, administering insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II, also known as IGF2) significantly enhances memory retention and prevents forgetting. Inhibitory avoidance learning leads to an increase in hippocampal expression of IGF-II, which requires the transcription factor CCAAT enhancer binding protein β and is essential for memory consolidation. Furthermore, injections of recombinant IGF-II into the hippocampus after either training or memory retrieval significantly enhance memory retention and prevent forgetting. To be effective, IGF-II needs to be administered within a sensitive period of memory consolidation. IGF-II-dependent memory enhancement requires IGF-II receptors, new protein synthesis, the function of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein and glycogen-synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Moreover, it correlates with a significant activation of synaptic GSK3β and increased expression of GluR1 (also known as GRIA1) α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxasolepropionic acid receptor subunits. In hippocampal slices, IGF-II promotes IGF-II receptor-dependent, persistent long-term potentiation after weak synaptic stimulation. Thus, IGF-II may represent a novel target for cognitive enhancement therapies.
