The Future of Memory Drugs

A number of groups are trying to develop memory enhancing drugs to treat patients suffering from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, but scientists are also concerned about off-label uses. Students might use them to cram for tests. Business people may pop the brain enhancers to gain an advantage over co-workers. How this will all play out over the next few years, or decades, isn't yet clear, but there's a good review of the scientific advances—including the memory-enhanced mice at left—and ethical questions involved in this week's issue of Chemical & Engineering News.—Gregory Mone

(Image credit: Nahum Sonenberg/McGill University)