New research from NYU has uncovered that non-brain cells can also store memories. This groundbreaking discovery could open new avenues for enhancing learning and treating memory disorders.
A new study by New York University (NYU) scientists, published in Nature Communications. has unveiled that memory storage isn’t exclusive to brain cells, marking a significant paradigm shift in our understanding of memory.
Traditionally, it’s been believed that memories are stored exclusively in the brain. However, a team of researchers at NYU has discovered that cells from various parts of the body also possess memory functions. This revelation opens new pathways for enhancing learning processes and treating memory-related conditions.
“Learning and memory are generally associated with brains and brain cells alone, but our study shows that other cells in the body can learn and form memories, too,” lead author Nikolay V. Kukushkin, a clinical assistant professor of life science at NYU Liberal Studies and a research fellow at NYU’s Center for Neural Science, said in a news release.
To uncover whether non-brain cells contribute to memory, the researchers employed a concept known as the massed-spaced effect — the idea that information is better retained when learned in intervals rather than in one intensive session. This concept was tested on non-brain human cells from nerve tissue and kidney tissue in a controlled lab environment.
When exposed to patterns of chemical signals, akin to how brain cells encounter neurotransmitters during learning, the non-brain cells activated a “memory gene.” This gene is similar to the one brain cells activate when they form memories by recognizing information patterns and restructuring their connections.
The team engineered these cells to produce a glowing protein, enabling the tracking of the memory gene’s activity. Remarkably, the non-brain cells displayed memory retention similar to brain cells. Specifically, spaced-out chemical signals activated the memory gene more robustly and for longer periods compared to continuous signals, mimicking the massed-spaced effect.
“This reflects the massed-space effect in action. It shows that the ability to learn from spaced repetition isn’t unique to brain cells, but, in fact, might be a fundamental property of all cells,” added Kukushkin.
This discovery provides a novel perspective on how memory functions and opens up new avenues for research, with potential health benefits.
“This discovery opens new doors for understanding how memory works and could lead to better ways to enhance learning and treat memory problems,” Kukushkin added. “At the same time, it suggests that in the future, we will need to treat our body more like the brain — for example, consider what our pancreas remembers about the pattern of our past meals to maintain healthy levels of blood glucose or consider what a cancer cell remembers about the pattern of chemotherapy.”