Researchers from ETH Zurich and New York University have unveiled groundbreaking findings that challenge traditional notions of memory, suggesting that cells throughout the body can store and recall memories much like brain cells. Published in the prestigious journal Nature, the studies reveal that kidney, nerve, and even fat cells possess the ability to form memories, potentially impacting health outcomes and lifestyle-related conditions. This discovery sheds light on how unhealthy dietary patterns and other lifestyle factors can trigger epigenetic memory formation, contributing to chronic conditions such as obesity.
In their pioneering study, Nikolay Kukushkin, DPhil, and his team at ETH Zurich discovered that kidney cells share the same memory retention mechanism found in brain cells. This mechanism follows the spacing effect, meaning experiences spaced out over time create more robust memories than those condensed into a single occurrence.
“Our study shows that it’s not just a metaphorical connection — it is the same mechanism that retains information in brain cells and in kidney cells (same cellular tools), and it follows the same rules — namely, the spacing effect, the fact that experiences separated in time produce a stronger memory than the same amount of experience crammed in one go.” — Nikolay Kukushkin, DPhil
The implications of these findings are profound. The study indicates that experiences influencing kidney cells can alter their future behavior based on past interactions with various salts, fluids, and nutrients.
“A kidney cell might be exposed to different patterns of salts, fluids, nutrients; based on those patterns, it might change how it acts in the future.” — Nikolay Kukushkin, DPhil
Meanwhile, research led by Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD, explores how adipose (fat) tissue retains a memory of obesity even after weight loss. This cellular memory could be a key factor in the yo-yo weight loss effect, where individuals rapidly regain lost weight.
“Humans and other animals have adapted to defend their body weight rather than lose it, as food scarcity was historically a common challenge.” — Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD
Von Meyenn’s study suggests that these fat cells remember their previous obese state and strive to revert to it, thereby complicating efforts to maintain weight loss. This phenomenon highlights a deeper cellular memory that actively resists change and is not merely a reflection of willpower or motivation.
“On a societal level, this could offer some solace to individuals struggling with obesity, as it suggests that the difficulty in maintaining weight loss may not be due solely to a lack of willpower or motivation, but rather to a deeper cellular memory that actively resists change.” — Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD
Further research on pancreatic cells revealed that exposure to high sugar levels leads these cells to remember and react differently upon subsequent exposures. The study found that after an initial sugar load, pancreatic cells release insulin—a hormone that facilitates sugar absorption—but when the sugar load is repeated after 20 minutes, the insulin pulse doubles.
“This pulse reaches a certain peak, and then fades away. But wait 20 minutes and repeat the sugar load — now the pulse of insulin becomes twice as big.” — Nikolay Kukushkin, DPhil
This adaptive response underscores how cellular memory helps maintain physiological balance amid changing nutrient patterns.
“But if you had it permanently increased, you’d probably be fatigued and hungry all the time. So adding a memory element into the pancreatic cell helps it adapt to the patterns of nutrients, just as ‘mind’ memories help us adapt to the patterns of experience.” — Nikolay Kukushkin, DPhil
The permanence of these changes in adipose tissue reactions to external factors poses challenges for reversing such memories. However, von Meyenn suggests maintaining a healthy body weight over time might gradually erase these adverse memories.
“It is possible that maintaining a reduced or healthy body weight for long enough is enough to erase the memory.” — Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD
Despite these promising findings, there are currently no pharmacological interventions targeting these epigenetic changes. Nonetheless, ongoing research aims to develop tools capable of addressing these cellular memories.
“Currently, there are no pharmacological interventions that are targeted against the epigenetic changes we have observed.” — Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD
“Tools are being developed that could target the epigenome, but these are very novel and have not been used in humans.” — Ferdinand von Meyenn, PhD
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