Genetics and Health

CREB Gene Boosts Brain Cell Activity

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on December 6th, 2005

The latest brain craze among some of my friends is the number puzzle Sudoku. Puzzles like these are known for keeping brains active and healthy. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to complete even a simple crossword puzzle and have never had an interest in solving other brain teasers.

That’s why reading about the latest research presented at the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience in Washington DC has me wondering if my CREB gene is getting the stimulation it needs. It’s believed that a group of “survival genes” controlled by CREB, a master genetic controller, plays a part in:

• Stimulating brain cells
• Encouraging brain development
• Increasing the life span of brain cells
• Helping the brain resist the effects of disease and drugs

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.

I’m not counting on gene therapy to get my brain juices flowing. Blogging should do the trick for now.

Science Daily, December 5, 2005

ETA: Crud. My brain may be in more trouble than I thought. I originally published this post with the title - “CREB Gene Boost Bran Cell Activity.” Ugh. A grammatical error AND a typo.

Share This

Related Stories

Exercise Affects Gene Expression
The Answer Lies in the Serotonin Receptor 2C Gene
Exercise Regardless of Your Genes
MAOA Gene Linked To Violent Behavior
50% BRCA 1 genes have PTEN mutations

POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health