Brain Development Controlled by Epigenetic Factor

Researchers from McGill University Health Center have discovered the role of a major epigenetic regulator in the development of the hippocampus; a brain region associated with learning, memory and neural stem cells. The study, published in the Journal Biological Chemistry, details using mutant mice to test manipulation of the epigenetic regulator known as BRPF1, and was found to directly impact overall learning development and intellectual level. “This research supports how important epigenetic regulation is to brain development and health during one’s lifetime, but this is something that we are just starting to understand,” said the author of the study. “The next step for us is to try and understand better how different epigenetic regulators in the brain interact with one another to integrate information from life experience and from the environment.” Future research in humans could determine direct causes for intellectual disabilities, possibly with merit for genetic testing in order to determine likelihood of complications in mental development. To learn more about this study, click here.