KUWAIT CITY, Oct 8: A groundbreaking study has revealed that memory may not be confined to the brain alone but is instead a property shared by many types of cells throughout the body. Scientists at New York University (NYU) discovered that the spacing of chemical signals, long known to enhance memory in neurons, also boosts memory-like responses in normal human cells.

The research, which challenges traditional views of memory, suggests that the same "learning rules" that apply to brain cells also govern how other types of cells process and retain information at a molecular level. The findings have broad implications, from drug development to our understanding of cellular behavior.

In the study, researchers grew non-neuronal human cells in the lab and introduced a system that allowed them to track gene activity. They used a reporter molecule, a modified version of firefly luciferase, to visualize when certain genes were activated. This reporter emitted a brief glow whenever a key protein called CREB was activated—indicating that the cell's "learning" machinery was engaged.

The team then "trained" the cells using two lab tools—forskolin and TPA—that mimic the signaling pathways known to be involved in long-term memory formation in animals. By applying spaced pulses of these signals, the researchers observed a stronger and longer-lasting gene response in the cells compared to when the signals were delivered all at once, or "massed."

The spacing effect in memory is well-known in neuroscience, where spaced repetition of stimuli leads to stronger, longer-lasting memory formation in the brain. The new findings show that the same principle applies not just to brain cells, but to many other human cell types.

In the study, spaced signals led to sustained activation of molecular pathways involving two key proteins: ERK and CREB. These proteins are critical for memory in neurons and have now been shown to play a similar role in non-neuronal cells. The study found that blocking ERK or interfering with CREB eliminated the benefit of spaced signaling, linking the observed effect to memory-related molecular circuits.

This discovery has real-world implications, particularly in medicine. Researchers and clinicians have long focused on the dosage of drugs, but this study highlights that the timing of drug delivery can be just as important. Smaller, spaced doses of medication could lead to stronger and more beneficial responses in cells than a single large dose, underscoring the importance of timing in therapeutic interventions.

In drug design, this principle could help optimize the effectiveness of treatments. It suggests that, just like the timing of signals in cells, the timing of medications could significantly impact their success, opening up new avenues for improving treatment strategies.

Despite its compelling findings, the study's authors caution that the research has its limitations. The experiments were conducted using immortalized human cell lines and controlled conditions, which do not fully capture the complexity of real tissues. Future studies will need to explore how these results hold up in more complex environments, such as tissues with feedback from surrounding cells or the immune system.

Still, the research provides a promising starting point for exploring how spacing effects could be applied to cellular cognition, drug dosing, and even the design of better memory models.

Overall, this study challenges the traditional view of memory as a brain-only phenomenon and expands it to include many types of cells throughout the body. The findings suggest that "learning" at the cellular level follows patterns of signal spacing that affect gene activity, making it a universal feature of cellular function.

“This study shows that memory and learning are not confined to brain cells alone,” said Nikolay V. Kukushkin, lead author of the study. “Cells throughout the body can learn and form memories based on the timing and pattern of signals they receive.”

As scientists continue to explore these cellular “memory” processes, they hope to develop better therapeutic approaches and gain deeper insights into the fundamental principles of learning and cognition that may apply to all living organisms.