From Protein Folding to Cognition: The Serendipitous Path of Discovery

Abstract

A screen for small molecule modulators of the unfolded protein response yielded ISRIB, a drug‐like compound that with high efficacy renders cells insensitive to translational inhibition by phosphorylation of eIF2. ISRIB proved to be a cognitive enhancer in rodents, significantly improving long‐term memory of wild‐type animals in behavioral assays.