Spinal cord | The Epigenetics Project Blog

Side view of the brain and spinal cord (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

John Hopkins has determined that a protein called Merlin controls cell growth and if disrupted accounts for most brain and spinal cord cancers. As we surmised in this BLOG, cancer is a normal cellular action. The bodies need cells to grow at times and stop growing at other times. When cells continually grow, it is called cancer. Merlin is a protein that causes a epigenetic reaction in our cells. It can turn cell growth on or off.

Researchers determine pathway for origin of most common form of brain and spinal cord tumor (eurekalert.org)
Pathway Determined For Origin Of Most Common Form Of Brain And Spinal Cord Tumor (medicalnewstoday.com)
Researchers Determine Pathway for Origin of Most Common Form of Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor (neurosciencenews.com)
Study finds cancer-fighting goodness in cholesterol (eurekalert.org)

Our Epigenome Learns

June 9, 2011

Image via Wikipedia

As epigenetics change which genes are turned ON/OFF, it learns from previous decisions. Epigenetics can be controlled or influenced by the environment but it is also a part of who we are. Each type of cell in our bodies has the same DNA but their epigenetics is different. This allows different cells to do different tasks for the good of the body. If we look at a brain neuron, it starts life-like all cells as a Stem Cell. Epigenetics turns ON/OFF switches that tell the Stem Cell to become a nervous system cell. Now it is specialized and can become one of many parts of our nervous system. Let’s say that more epigenetic switches are thrown that causes this generic nervous system cell to become a spinal cord cell (more
specialization). Now switches are turned OFF to prevent the formation of Glial Cells, sometimes called neuroglia or simply glia. Glia cells cannot become neuron cells. Later more switches are thrown that turn the spinal cord cell into a neuron cell. Neurons are highly specific and sophisticated cells in our brains. Now epigenetics throws more switches ON/OFF to cause the neuron cell to grow an axon. Axons are arms that can connect one neuron to others. Finally switches are thrown that tell the axon to connect to another axon. The University of Utah depicts this example on their website.