Intuition would dictate that our memories are exclusively stored in the twists and turns of our brain. However, a recent discovery by New York researchers has shaken up this evidence. Their work, published on November 7 in the magazine Nature Communicationssuggest that our ability to memorize is not just the prerogative of brain cells. From the kidney cell to the peripheral neuron, our organic tissues would also be equipped with their own memory.
Our cells, guardians of our memory
It was Professor Nikolay V. Kukushkin and his team who shed light on this hitherto little-known phenomenon. They observed two types of cells in the laboratory: peripheral nerve cells (basic units of the nervous system located outside the brain and spinal cord) and kidney cells. At the end of these observations, the scientists concluded that they could, they too, record and process information. The latter, long considered as simple performers, activate the same “ memory gene » than their cerebral cousins when faced with repeated stimuli.
To capture this molecular dynamic, the researchers equipped these cells with a light signature: a fluorescent protein lighting up at the rate of activation of the memory gene. This approach made it possible to monitor the memorization process at the cellular level in real time. It’s like giving the cell a little light bulb. This lights up when a specific event occurs,In this case, when the cell remembers.
Spaced learning: a universal cellular property
If last-minute “cramming” remains a fairly common practice among students, our cells seem to favor a more methodical strategy. By artificially reproducing learning sequences, scientists have discovered that non-brain cells responded remarkably well to spaced stimulation.
Faced with chemical signals imitating neurotransmitters, they demonstrate optimal learning capacity when information is presented to them at regular intervals. This cellular response echoes the spacing effect, a well-established phenomenon in cognitive psychology. It refers to the fact that learning is more effective and sustainable when study sessions are spread out over time, rather than concentrated in one long session. Until now it was considered to be specific to the brain, but this is apparently not the case.
Therapeutic applications in sight?
Although, at first glance, this discovery may appear to be relatively minimal, it’s nothing. Kukushkin explains: “ This discovery opens new perspectives for understanding how memory works and could lead to better methods to improve learning and treat memory disorders. It also shows that in the future, we will have to consider our body as a real actor of memory. For example, think about how our pancreas can remember our meal habits to regulate glucose, or how a cancer cell remembers chemotherapy cycles. “.
Therefore, several therapeutic applications are imaginable, although these deserve more in-depth research and are more of an extrapolation. By better understanding how peripheral nerve cells and other tissues memorize information, we could develop new strategies to slow or reverse the progression of pathologies such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
We could also imagine greater personalization of cancer treatments ; by studying how cancer cells remember these treatments, we could develop strategies to make them more effective and reduce the phenomena of resistance to chemotherapy. Regarding pancreatic cells, if they remember fluctuations in blood sugar levels, it would possibly be possible to develop new approaches to regulate insulin production and prevent diabetes complications. Without a doubt, despite all the advances in modern medicine, the human body still retains a large part of mystery ; this study is proof of that.
- Researchers have discovered that non-brain cells have the ability to memorize thanks to a common gene.
- These cells respond better to spaced stimuli, thus replicating the spacing effect.
- This discovery could pave the way for the development of therapeutic advances to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes or improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
