New Brain Receptor Found that Could Help Keep Our Minds Healthier Longer

Our bodies use various hormones and proteins in different ways, dependent on where they are active in the body. Our knowledge of how these proteins and hormones act and interact is only in its early stages. Though there are certain hormones, like Testosterone and Estrogen, that we know a lot about—there are others we are just discovering.

The idea that the brain can produce new cells is relatively new. While previously hypothesized, it wasn't until nearly 2000 that scientists proved the neurogenesis theory. Since then, researchers have found that adult Neural Stem Cells can make new neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes that facilitate neurological development and structure.

Insulin Receptors Influence Neural Stem Cells

A recent study unveiled in the journal Stem Cell Reports explores the effects of a particular protein called the Insulin Receptor (INSR). The study was conducted at Rutgers Medical School and was led by Neuroscience specialist Professor Steven Levison. This hormone was first discovered because it is integral to the function of insulin.

Cell Receptors like the Insulin Receptor act as the gateway to a particular cellular activity. These molecules are formed from protein and can exist naturally or be created artificially. When a receptor is activated by its key (often a hormone), it initiates the activity. An important area of study is identifying these receptors—where they are and what they do in that location—and creating medications that can activate or block them.

Upon further investigation, scientists found that insulin receptors are also deep in the neural stem. These brain stem insulin receptors were first found in mice but also humans. Researchers hypothesize that this discovery could eventually lead to massive breakthroughs in treating many neurodegenerative disorders.

Professors Levison and Co-Author Professor Teresa Wood have worked on other similar studies involving Neural Stem Cells. They found that Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II was critical to these cells' normal function and activity.

IGF-II acted as the key to unlocking the potential of these stem cells. There are two parts of the brain which contain Neural Stem Cells. Based on this prior research, they knew that IGF-II was critical but didn't know the specific receptor.

The goal of this study was to find the receptor. They created mice without the INSR gene and found that the volume of Neural Stem Cells plummeted without Insulin Receptors.

The Future of Neural Stem Cell Research

Professor Wood believes this research is promising for treating many neurological diseases. If it were possible to activate Neural Stem Cells to induce the production of new brain cells, it could be a game changer for disorders that involve the death of brain cells, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.

Teresa Wood is a researcher and teacher at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She's interested in how we could alter the function of neurological stem cells to replenish dead and diseased brain cells.

This study shows how insulin is vital to developing, developing, and maintaining neurological stem cells. It shows how the Insulin Receptor helps promote normal and healthy function and how it can provide fuel for dangerous cancer cells if they develop.

The current goal is to achieve an advanced understanding of how these cells function in the brain stem. The long-term goal is to create new therapeutic strategies to help us achieve better brain health and more effectively treat issues that impair neurological function.

Using Insulin Receptors to Treat Neurological Disease and Illness

This research could also be the gateway to new strategies for improving and preserving brain function deeper into old age. Neural stem cells contain the instructions for the whole nervous system. We retain many neural stem cells even after we reach adulthood. These stem cells are used to help repair and maintain brain function.

The discovery of INSR in the brain also has ramifications for cancer treatment. Researchers found that Insulin Receptors feed glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive and dangerous cancer cell that can form in the brain. Inactivating INSR Insulin Receptors could slow down the progression of glioblastoma proliferation.

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