Every part of your body is able to remember: we normally think of memory as belonging to the brain. Recent studies indicate that cells have a phenomenon known as cellular memory, which is an unexplored concept that is on the rise and trending in the current biology world. This is not a neural memory because it is not associated with thoughts and consciousness. Rather, cells recall the previous experiences, e.g., stress, infection, and environmental exposure, and react differently when they face the same stimuli in the future.
This is stored as epigenetic modifications, chemical marks attached to DNA or histone protein that modify the expression of genes but do not modify the genetic code. Stress of the cell, such as inflammation, exposure to toxins, or lack of nutrients, can cause the cell to turn some of the genes on or off. These epigenetic marks may still be left even when the stress is gone, and this means that the cell will respond quicker or more intensely next time.
It is the concept that is transforming the way scientists perceive disease. As an example, immune cells that have previously been exposed to pathogens are more aggressive in subsequent reactions- this is referred to as trained immunity. On the same note, cancer cells are capable of the ability to memorize the chemotherapy exposure and becoming increasingly resistant with time. Even skin and gut cells might be capable of remembering previous inflammation, which is why chronic illnesses and recurrence trends can be explained.
The interesting fact about cellular memory is that it breaks the concept of the cells being passive units. Rather, they act as adaptive systems, which are able to learn through experience. This promises new opportunities in regenerative medicine, cancer treatment, and aging research-but most people do not know about it.
Do you believe the knowledge of cellular memory would alter how we treat chronic diseases and cancer in the future?
MBH/PS