Disclosed herein are methods, and compositions for inhibiting neurodegeneration, e.g., in neuronal cells. The methods and compositions the invention can be used to treat a neurodegenerative disorder, e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and frontotemproal dementia. In some embodiments, the methods and compositions can be used to inhibit neurodegeneration, e.g., caused by tau-mediated synaptic neurodegeneration, encephalitis, brain trauma, or any disorder suffering from weakening synapses.
Kishore Kuchibhotla, a Johns Hopkins University neuroscientist who studies learning in humans and animals, and who has long worked with mice, wondered why rodents often performed poorly in tests when they knew how to perform well.