Scientists Form Neurogenetics Research Group
By Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, Maine
Jun. 11–BREWER — Scientists from the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health and other Maine institutions recently announced the formation of a new neurological research group for studying the relationship between genetic makeup and the environmental influences of disease and treatment.
Marie Hayes is a professor in the recently established Graduate School of Biomedical Science at the University of Maine and a researcher for the Brewer genetics institute. Hayes said Sunday that scientists in the new Maine Neurogenetics Consortium will explore the different ways in which disease and treatment affect people’s brains as a result of their genes, and how an individual’s brain function affects his or her response to disease and treatment.
“All parts of the brain control all the physical properties of the body,” Hayes said. The rate at which the heart beats, the release of hormones that control reproduction, and the ability to solve problems all are under the control of the brain, she noted. Brain function, in turn, is determined in part by genetic composition and in part by environmental influences, including disease and treatment.
There is growing evidence, she said, that people react differently to medical treatments such as chemotherapy because of their unique genetic makeup. For example, some cancer patients develop a condition known as “chemobrain,” characterized by loss of memory, difficulty in learning and a sensation that their brain must work harder. But not all those who undergo chemotherapy experience these changes, Hayes said, which points to a possible genetic predisposition that is present in only some people.
Understanding the complex interplay among brain function, genetic makeup and response to disease and treatment is “the next wave” of biomedical research, Hayes said.
“Scientists are very interested in how the brain responds to health crises,” she said, including immune system function, cognitive ability, the sleep-wake cycle, pain perception, depression and more.
“We don’t know these things yet,” she said, but increased understanding could lead to changes in the way diseases are treated and better results for patients.
According to a prepared statement released by Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, the corporate home of the Brewer genetics institute, scientists from research labs around the state will participate in the new neurogenetics consortium. Participating institutions include The Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Bates College in Lewiston, Bowdoin College in Brunswick, The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford and others. The Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health is envisioned as the “statewide hub” of this research, according to its director Janet Hock.
A neurogenetics conference is planned for September, where scientists will present their research projects and compete for $200,000 in seed money — a donation from an anonymous source, according to the EMHS statement — to be used to draw federal grant funding.
For information on the Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health, visit www.mainegenetics.org.
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