Well this is so simple, you follow this research to its natural conclusion. How can we use this to redevelop dead and damaged brains from stroke?
http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/news/2014/06/researchers-find-gene-critical-development-brain-motor-center?
In a report published in Nature Communications,
an Ottawa-led team of researchers describe the role of a specific gene,
called Snf2h, in the development of the cerebellum. Snf2h is required
for the proper development of a healthy cerebellum, a master control
centre in the brain for balance, fine motor control and complex physical
movements.
Athletes and artists perform their extraordinary feats relying on the
cerebellum. As well, the cerebellum is critical for the everyday tasks
and activities that we perform, such as walking, eating and driving a
car. By removing Snf2h, researchers found that the cerebellum was
smaller than normal, and balance and refined movements were compromised.
Led by Dr. David Picketts, a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital
Research Institute and professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Ottawa, the team describes the Snf2h gene, which is found
in our brain's neural stem cells and functions as a master regulator.
When they removed this gene early on in a mouse's development, its
cerebellum only grew to one-third the normal size. It also had
difficulty walking, balancing and coordinating its movements, something
called cerebellar ataxia that is a component of many neurodegenerative
diseases.
"As these cerebellar stem cells divide, on their journey toward
becoming specialized neurons, this master gene is responsible for
deciding which genes are turned on and which genes are packed tightly
away," said Dr. Picketts. "Without Snf2h there to keep things organized,
genes that should be packed away are left turned on, while other genes
are not properly activated. This disorganization within the cell’s
nucleus results in a neuron that doesn't perform very well—like a car
running on five cylinders instead of six."
The cerebellum contains roughly half the neurons found in the brain.
It also develops in response to external stimuli. So, as we practice
tasks, certain genes or groups of genes are turned on and off, which
strengthens these circuits and helps to stabilize or perfect the task
being undertaken. The researchers found that the Snf2h gene orchestrates
this complex and ongoing process. These master genes, which adapt to
external cues to adjust the genes they turn on and off, are known as
epigenetic regulators.
"These epigenetic regulators are known to affect memory, behaviour
and learning," said Dr. Picketts. "Without Snf2h, not enough cerebellar
neurons are produced, and the ones that are produced do not respond and
adapt as well to external signals. They also show a progressively
disorganized gene expression profile that results in cerebellar ataxia
and the premature death of the animal."
There are no studies showing a direct link between Snf2h mutations
and diseases with cerebellar ataxia, but Dr. Picketts added that it "is
certainly possible and an interesting avenue to explore."
In 2012, Developmental Cell published a paper by Dr.
Picketts' team showing that mice lacking the sister gene Snf2l were
completely normal, but had larger brains, more cells in all areas of the
brain and more actively dividing brain stem cells. The balance between
Snf2l and Snf2h gene activity is necessary for controlling brain size
and for establishing the proper gene expression profiles that underlie
the function of neurons in different regions, including the cerebellum.
This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
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