Diane Joy Galos

Most of us think of the brain when we hear the word "memory," but new research from New York University (NYU) shows that memory may extend beyond just brain cells.

Published in Nature Communications, the research reveals that non-brain cells, such as those from nerve and kidney tissues, can activate a “memory gene” when exposed to environmental patterns.


"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," Nikolay Kukushkin, the lead researcher, said.

Kukushkin accompanied the study with Thomas Carew, a professor at NYU's Center for neuroscience, alongside researcher Tasnim Tabassum and undergraduate Robert Carney.

These researchers mimicked the way brain cells respond to neurotransmitters by exposing non-brain human cells to chemical signals.

They tracked the cells’ learning process by engineering them to glow when the memory gene was activated. The results show that non-brain cells could distinguish between continuous and spaced-out patterns of chemical signals.

“This reflects the massed-space effect in action,” Kukushkin said, referring to the principle that spaced repetition enhances memory.

When chemical pulses were delivered in spaced intervals, the memory gene was activated more strongly and for longer than with continuous signals.

“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,” Kukushkin said.

This discovery could revolutionize the understanding of memory and open new possibilities for enhancing learning and treating memory disorders.

Kukushkin further said that, “In the future, we will need to treat our body more like the brain—considering, for example, what our pancreas remembers about the pattern of our past meals to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.”

Scientists are now considering how cells throughout the body “remember” to maintain overall health.
While we usually think of memory as a trait exclusive to the brain, this study turns that notion on its head. 

With every cell in the body potentially holding onto memory, the possibilities for learning, treatment, and understanding the body are vast. 

Maybe it is time to stop taking your brain for granted and start thinking of your body as one giant memory storage unit.