In a discovery that could be the beginning of the end for phobias, neuroscientists might have worked out how to silence the gene that feeds fear.
The international team of scientists believe the breakthrough could help to loosen the grip of fear-related memories, which are involved in phobias and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The research, involving Australian neuroscientists, identified a gene regulation mechanism that's associated with fear extinction - a normal learning process thought to be critical for getting rid of fear when the response is no longer required.
When this fear extinction process doesn't occur, it can lead to anxiety disorders.
But the good news is, it now looks like we may be able to turn it on again by modifying DNA expression, according to the paper published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Rather than being static, the way genes function is incredibly dynamic and can be altered by our daily life experiences, with emotionally relevant events having a pronounced impact,” said Dr Timonthy Bredy from the University of Queensland's Brain Institute in a press release.
By working out how this switch can be triggered without changing the underlying genetic sequence, the scientists hope to be able to develop future anxiety and phobia treatments.
This is all part of the fascinating field of science known as epigenetics, and is the first comprehensive analysis of how fear extinction is influenced by modifying DNA.
We don't want to get too excited just yet, but imagine what a word without irrational fears would look like…
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