Our research that led us to the discovery of the signaling network in the brain began twenty years ago with a single molecule in the heart. The cells in the brain and the heart communicate with electrical impulses and chemical messages. At that time, we were investigating how particular ion channels translate chemical signals into miniature currents in the membrane of cardiac cells.
In the world of science, similar signals should evoke similar responses. However, during the course of our investigations we noticed something unusual. The responses of the individual channels to the same chemical signals were all over the place and the channels switched behavior without external triggers.
To explain this behavior we had the idea that the ion channels were enveloped within a network of other signaling proteins and that the channel activity scanned and reported the global signaling landscape in the cell membrane. Our idea turned out to be correct, and in 2004, we identified the large protein network that indeed envelopes the ion channels and controls their activity in the cardiac cells.
A few years later, we asked whether the mammalian brain connected many elements in large networks, and used similar principles to control information flow. The project designed to address this question led to the discovery of the brain network. More importantly, we developed a novel method that can report the activity of the individual components in this network. We refer to this method as pro-MD. This method is fast and simple and it can revolutionize the way in which new medications are developed and tested.
Optimal information processing in the brain requires not only that all elements be functional, but also that they work in concert with a certain intensity. The drugs of abuse change the balance between the activities of different elements in the network. As a result, the information processing in the brain is altered and the perception of the reality is changed.
As we inhibited different elements in the brain network, the signals propagated through this network became blurred, fragmented and gradually faded. Because people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease experience similar changes in their perception of reality, we asked the question: Do some drugs, shown to slow the progression of the disease, work through the same brain network? Our experiments indicated that such drugs amplify the activity of several elements in the brain network, confirming that the components of this network can be targeted in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
In addition, we showed that the same network can be used as a therapeutic target in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and the control of the progression of L-DOPA induced dyskinesia.
For the scientists among you, we have included a bibliography of our published articles that led to the discovery of the brain network.
In the world of science, similar signals should evoke similar responses. However, during the course of our investigations we noticed something unusual. The responses of the individual channels to the same chemical signals were all over the place and the channels switched behavior without external triggers.
To explain this behavior we had the idea that the ion channels were enveloped within a network of other signaling proteins and that the channel activity scanned and reported the global signaling landscape in the cell membrane. Our idea turned out to be correct, and in 2004, we identified the large protein network that indeed envelopes the ion channels and controls their activity in the cardiac cells.
A few years later, we asked whether the mammalian brain connected many elements in large networks, and used similar principles to control information flow. The project designed to address this question led to the discovery of the brain network. More importantly, we developed a novel method that can report the activity of the individual components in this network. We refer to this method as pro-MD. This method is fast and simple and it can revolutionize the way in which new medications are developed and tested.
Optimal information processing in the brain requires not only that all elements be functional, but also that they work in concert with a certain intensity. The drugs of abuse change the balance between the activities of different elements in the network. As a result, the information processing in the brain is altered and the perception of the reality is changed.
As we inhibited different elements in the brain network, the signals propagated through this network became blurred, fragmented and gradually faded. Because people afflicted with Alzheimer's disease experience similar changes in their perception of reality, we asked the question: Do some drugs, shown to slow the progression of the disease, work through the same brain network? Our experiments indicated that such drugs amplify the activity of several elements in the brain network, confirming that the components of this network can be targeted in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
In addition, we showed that the same network can be used as a therapeutic target in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and the control of the progression of L-DOPA induced dyskinesia.
For the scientists among you, we have included a bibliography of our published articles that led to the discovery of the brain network.
