Memory is stored not only in our brain – other cells also remember

For a very long time, we have been under the impression that memory and learning are the brain’s unique strengths. Central to this belief is the fact that our brains, especially brain cells, store memories.

However, an innovative group of researchers think differently, suggesting that cells in other parts of the body are also involved in this memory function.

The ability of non-brain cells to learn and form memories is an exciting discovery. This thought-provoking research gives us new insights into memory mechanisms and opens the way to potential advances in learning and the treatment of memory-related disorders.

Formation of memory and cells

“Learning and memory are usually associated only with the brain and its cells, but our research shows that other cells in the body can learn and form memoriestoo,” explains the New York University professor. Nikolai Viktorovich Kukushkinlead author of the study.

The goal of the study was simple – to find out whether non-brain cells contribute to memory. To do this, the scientists used a time-tested neurological property known as the mass space effect.

This principle states that our ability to remember is better when information is learned at regular intervals rather than crammed into one intense session.

Does this resonate? We’ve all experienced the futility of cramming at the last minute before exams.

Memory test in non-brain cells

In their study, the scientists modeled the process of spatial learning by examining two types of human non-brain cells in the laboratory – one from nerve tissue and one from kidney tissue.

These cells were exposed to various chemical signals, much like brain cells are exposed to neurotransmitters when we learn new information.

The intriguing part? These non-brain cells also turned on a “memory gene,” the same gene that brain cells activate when they detect patterns of information and reorganize their connections to form memories.

So how exactly have scientists measured memory and learning? They ingeniously engineered non-brain cells to generate a glowing protein that indicated whether a memory gene was active or dormant.

Memory, cell learning and heart rate

The results of this innovative research were astounding.

It turned out that these cells were able to distinguish when chemical impulses (mimicking bursts of neurotransmitters in the brain) were repeated rather than simply prolonged – much like the neurons in our own brains when we choose to study intermittently instead of constantly cramming.

When the pulses were given at certain intervals, they activated “memory “gene” more intensely and for a longer duration than when the same treatment was given simultaneously – a perfect demonstration of the mass space effect.

“This reflects the mass space effect in action,” says Kukushkin, a clinical assistant professor of life sciences at NYU Liberal Studies and a research fellow at the NYU Center for Neuroscience.

“This shows that the ability to learn from spaced repetition is not unique to brain cells, but may in fact be a fundamental property of all cells.”

Understanding how memory works

This study of non-brain cells not only opens up new perspectives on the study of memory, but also promises potential health benefits.

“This discovery opens new doors to understanding how memory works and could lead to more effective ways to improve learning and treat memory problems,” says Kukushkin.

“At the same time, it suggests that in the future we will need to treat our bodies more like our brains – for example, consider that our pancreas remembers the patterns of our past meals in order to maintain healthy blood glucose levels, or consider that the cancer cell remembers the chemotherapy regimen.”

Implications of the study

The research team also included Thomas Carew, a professor at New York University’s Center for Neuroscience; Tasneem Tabassum, a researcher at New York University; and Robert Carney, research student at New York University. The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01-MH120300-01A1).

As we explore this exciting new research on non-brain cells, the question that remains is how will this affect our lives? understanding memory formation?

What implications does this discovery have for the future of memory learning and treatment? Only time will tell.

The study was published in the journal Natural communications.

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