'Survival genes' may aid brain function

EDINBURGH, Scotland, Dec 5, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Scientists are trying to identify the reasons why completing a daily crossword is good for the brain.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh say it appears that there are "survival genes" that lay dormant in unused brains but are re-awakened in active brain cells.

These awakened genes make the brain cells live longer and resist traumas such as disease, stroke and the effects of drugs, and are also critical to brain development in unborn babies.

Their findings could lead to the development of smarter drugs or gene therapies to halt the progress of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

"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," said Giles Hardingham, who presented this work recently at the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience in Washington.

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