"Mickey Mouse" became "Mighty Mouse"
The only thing to fear is fear itself. And maybe actually - from his garden? A group of brain researchers and geneticists claim, in a study published in the magazine "Cell", that they have succeeded in locating the fear gene. According to them, when the gene in question was removed from mice considered fearful, these became "brave": the animals agreed to move around in an unfamiliar environment, and were less threatened by voices and noises, which were previously defined as dangerous.
"Potential clinical applications may be very important for people who suffer from mental disorders related to fear," said Dr. Gleb Shomiatsky, a professor of genetics at Rutgers, who headed the team of researchers. Indeed, although the research was done on mice, the system in the brain responsible for the feeling of fear is the same in all mammals. Therefore, the new findings may help in the development of drugs for a variety of diseases, mainly anxiety states: starting from panic attacks are common, and up to recurrent attacks of paralyzing memories in cases of battle shock and post-traumatic stress.
"As far as I know, there are three types of research in science: one that advances a theory, another that invalidates it, and a third that leads to the discovery of a field
Completely new," noted Dr. Thomas Insell, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, which helped fund the study. "This study opens a new chapter and presents a completely new molecular candidate for the study of anxiety. I think we will hear a lot about this development in the next ten years."
The researchers were able to find the fear gene, stathmin, by analyzing brain tissue, mainly in a small area called the amygdala; In this area, alert activity is registered during times of fear or anxiety, according to previous studies. The researchers discovered that in the amygdala, compared to other places in the brain, there is a high concentration of the stathmin protein, produced by the gene of the same name.
The gene was removed by genetic engineering from the brains of some mice. The researchers were impressed that these animals grew and developed normally. In the tests performed, no difference in learning abilities was recorded between the "engineered" versus the "normal" mice.
When the mice were left alone on an unfamiliar white surface, the amount of time the transgenic mice stayed put and explored it was twice as long as the normal mice. The "open field" test is a measuring tool for "innate caution". To be sure that the genetic change is behind the differences, the researchers also tested the hearing sensitivity and pain threshold of the genetically modified mice. Both were normal.
In an attempt to explain the findings, the authors wrote that it is possible that the protein stathmin, which is absent from the bodies of the transgenic mice, helps the brain cells create new memories in the amygdala - the place where, according to the estimate, our subconscious fears are stored. And while it is likely that the use of gene therapy to create brave warriors will remain the property of screenwriters, the discovery may herald new insights into the mind-body connection.
