Scientists hope to re-purpose pill to help people erase painful memories

Scientists are working on a pill that could hopefully be re-purposed to erase painful memories from people who had suffered trauma and pain.

The Independent reported  experiments on mice had found that the multiple sclerosis drug, fingolimod, could rid them of the memories of physical pain.

In an experiment, mice were administered the drug and then given a mild electric shock. Mice tend to stop moving when their anxiety was high and they harboured fears about the chamber where they were given a shock. The behaviour however, reduced rapidly when they had taken fingolimod.

Scientists expect that the drug could be used to erase negative feelings associated with traumatic events. A relearning process could then start without the painful memories. The process known as 'fear extinction' could help rid sufferers of post-traumatic stress and phobias from their anxiety and trauma.

However, researchers had failed to find a drug that could suppress those feelings successfully. Scientists had earlier pinned hopes on an enzyme capable of suppressing an enzyme known as HDAC, but while experiments using those drugs had been successful, others seemed to aggravate the problems. The blood-brain barrier blocked some other drugs.

The US study, being conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University, held out hope of a drug that could eradicate memories of traumatic events from years ago and help patients overcome phobias, eating disorders and even sexual hang-ups.

Fingolimod, which retails as a tablet under the brand name Gilenya, is used in the treatment of remitting forms of MS by suppressing the immune system.

According to Dr Sarah Spiegel, of the Virginia Commonwealth University, it could also inhibit an enzyme called histone deacetylase, a key protein that regulated gene expression, Mailonline reported.

Dr Spiegel said, Fingolimod, a FDA-approved drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis, had beneficial effects in the central nervous system that were not yet well understood, the report said.

She added, Fingolimod deserved consideration as an adjuvant therapy for post traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders.

However, commentators say there could be ethical concerns that it could eradicate the very essence of what made us human as also have damaging psychological consequences, preventing those who took it from learning from their mistakes.