The cognitive fog known as “chemo brain,” marked by memory lapses and concentration difficulties, has long shadowed patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, a beacon of hope emerges from MIT, where researchers have unveiled a noninvasive treatment that stimulates gamma frequency brain waves, offering a potential shield against this cognitive affliction. In a groundbreaking study conducted on mice, daily exposure to light and sound at 40 hertz frequency was found to protect brain cells from the ravages of chemotherapy, preserving memory and cognitive functions.
Originally conceived to combat Alzheimer’s disease, this gamma wave therapy now shows promise across a broad spectrum of neurological disorders, hinting at its versatile therapeutic potential. Spearheaded by Li-Huei Tsai, the research reveals the treatment’s ability to mitigate DNA damage, curb inflammation, and bolster the production of myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers, thereby enhancing learning, memory, and executive functions.
The treatment can reduce DNA damage, reduce inflammation, and increase the number of oligodendrocytes, which are the cells that produce myelin surrounding the axons
Delving deeper, the study draws parallels between the cognitive impairments seen in chemotherapy patients and Alzheimer’s, noting similar patterns of brain inflammation, white matter loss, and myelin depletion. By leveraging the anti-inflammatory prowess of gamma sensory stimulation, the researchers embarked on a mission to alleviate these chemo-induced cognitive impairments.
Employing mice models treated with cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, the study juxtaposed the outcomes between those subjected solely to chemotherapy and those receiving additional gamma therapy. Remarkably, the latter group showed substantial reductions in the typical markers of chemotherapy-induced brain damage and excelled in cognitive performance tests.
Further insights were gleaned through single-cell RNA sequencing, which highlighted the suppression of inflammation-related genes and cell death triggers, particularly in oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing cells. These protective effects were observed up to four months post-treatment, albeit with diminished efficacy if the gamma therapy commenced three months post-chemotherapy.
The promise of gamma wave therapy extends beyond chemo brain, with ongoing explorations into its applicability for Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions. A beacon of hope for Alzheimer’s patients as well, a phase 3 trial of gamma therapy is on the horizon, spearheaded by Cognito Therapeutics, co-founded by Tsai and MIT’s Edward Boyden.
This pioneering research, underpinned by support from the JPB Foundation, the Ko Hahn Seed Fund, and the NIH, opens new avenues for tackling the elusive chemo brain, heralding a new era of noninvasive, gamma wave-based therapeutic interventions.
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