Memories Are Not Limited to Brain, New Study Claims

New study shows kidney and nerve cells have memory functions similar to neurons.

Highlights

• Non-brain cells like kidney cells show memory abilities.
• NYU study expands understanding of memory processes.
• Findings could advance memory treatments in health care.

Scientists at New York University (NYU) have revealed research indicating that memory functions may not be exclusive to brain cells, with findings showing that non-brain cells in the body can also store memories. The study demonstrated that cells outside the brain, specifically kidney and nerve tissue cells, possess memory-like qualities typically associated with neurons. These findings have implications for advancing the understanding of memory processes and could inform new treatments for memory-related conditions.

Memory Gene Activation in Non-Neural Cells

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. As per the study, the research team examined non-brain cells' response to chemical signal patterns in laboratory settings. By emulating the neurological “massed-spaced effect,” the team sought to test whether the spacing of signal patterns—analogous to spaced learning intervals in humans—would influence these cells' ability to “remember.” The study further revealed that exposing kidney and nerve cells to these intervals resulted in the activation of a “memory gene,” a process previously thought to be unique to neurons.

To track this activation, the cells were engineered to produce a glowing protein whenever the memory gene was turned on, providing visible markers of memory processing. Notably, the non-neural cells showed a stronger and longer-lasting gene response when the chemical signals were spaced, rather than delivered in a single extended pulse.

Implications for Health and Understanding Memory

This study introduces a fresh perspective on cellular memory, potentially shifting future research to consider non-brain cells as integral to memory storage and function. Kukushkin, alongside Professor Thomas Carew from NYU's Center for Neural Science, suggests that understanding non-neural memory could be instrumental in developing innovative approaches to enhance learning or address health issues such as glucose management and cancer cell response to treatment.

The research adds a new dimension to the study of memory, indicating that memory functions could be a general cellular property rather than a feature limited to brain cells alone.