Researchers have produced a strain of super-intelligent mice that may hold the key to helping patients with Alzheimer's, mental retardation and possibly those with age-related memory loss.

Researchers say this study gives the first good evidence that the protein GAP-43 actually is responsible for learning. They discovered that boosting this gene in mice helped the rodents to perform better in mouse mazes — these are used to test intelligence in mice.

Researchers believe that it may be possible to get brain cells to produce GAP-43 when needed.

The study's authors found that this protein appears in early stages of development in all animals. Researchers say there is a high concentration of GAP-43 in one-day old mice. They believe the combination of stimulation, such as exploring a new environment, and having high levels of this protein helps an animal learn.

Researchers say that if they could find a way to activate GAP-43 in humans, it might be a way to help learning without genetic engineering.

The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.