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'Survival' Genes Hold Key to Healthy Brains in
Elderly, Babies
Dec. 5, 2005 - Completing a daily crossword and
enjoying a range of activities and interests has long been accepted as a
recipe for maintaining a healthy brain in older age, but the reasons for
this have never been clear. Now, scientists at the University of
Edinburgh are are finding clues as they seek to identify brain's
'survival' genes which lie dormant in unused brain cells, but are
re-awakened in active brain cells.
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These awakened genes make the brain cells live
longer and resist traumas such as disease, stroke and the effects of
drugs, and are also critical to brain development in unborn babies.
Their findings could lead to the development of
smarter drugs or gene therapies to halt the progress of neurological
diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and may also explain,
scientifically, the benefits to the brain of maintaining an
intellectually and physically stimulating lifestyle in later years.
Dr Giles Hardingham of the Centre for Neuroscience
Research at the University of Edinburgh said: "When brain cells are
highly stimulated, many unused genes are suddenly reactivated. We have
found that a group of these genes can make the active brain cells far
healthier than lazy, inactive cells, and more likely to live a long
life.
"These findings also have implications at the other
end of life, where maternal drug taking and drinking can cause these
survival genes to be turned off in the brain of unborn babies."
Dr Hardingham, who presented this work recently at
the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience in Washington DC,
explained: "We recently discovered that a critical step in turning on
these survival genes involves activating a master genetic controller
called CREB.
"We aim to home in on which of these CREB-controlled
genes are crucial in helping the brain cells live longer and become
resistant to trauma. By being able to explain at molecular level the
basis of brain activity-dependent survival, it will open the way to
developing better therapies to help halt the progress of neurological
diseases."
He added: "Our work also bears relevance to the
potential harm that can befall an unborn baby if it is exposed to
substances which suppress its brain activity, like alcohol, and certain
drugs like Ketamine and PCP (Angel Dust). The brain cells of young,
developing brains are particularly reliant on signals from these
'survival' genes, but these signals are suppressed if their mothers are
taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
"This in turn can lead to serious health problems
such as foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which affects up to one per
cent of live births in the UK and can cause mental retardation,
behavioural problems and diminished growth. Some of this harm may be
reduced or minimized if we know exactly how it is taking place."
Note: The Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society and
Tenovus are funding the new project.
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