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A Key to Unlocking Brain Circuitry Salk neuroscientists discover link between protein and changes in brain function is new understanding of this factor in how the brain seals in learnings and memories opens the door to someday helping our brains to regain plasticity for therapeutic purposes such as treating brain injuries, such as a stroke, and other brain disorders. "Other researchers have done a lot of analysis of how the brain can repair itself, how we can promote it, and we know right now the best actual approach for promoting repair is physical therapy and trying to retrain the neurons that have survived to take over the processes," says Allen. "What we want to do is help those neurons, essentially, by getting rid of some of the other inhibition that surround them to allow that to work more efficiently. So, I think [stroke] would be the first place to start. But then there's many other different disorders, things like schizophrenia, for example, where we might have a miswiring of the connectivity, or in depression, where we perhaps could go in and temporarily change the ability of the neurons to communicate and then lock it back in again." As Allen and her team continue their research, discovering ways to manipulate these protein levels is an obvious next step. "We're now looking to [explore] more models that are relevant to repair from disease, and also trying to make some of these tools that we need to actually go in and remove this inhibitory protein in a temporary way. We think if we make those tools, then that will get much closer to therapeutic potential and get drug companies more interested in partnering with us." It's a tricky task. Just as the proteins these astrocytes produce secure connections and offer stability in exchange for plasticity, a reduction in the proteins can have negative consequences as well. "It turns out, just in aging and also in Alzheimer's, [the proteins] really get turned down. So we're asking, 'Well, what in those cases? What if we switch these on again? Would that have some benefit and help us learn more and maintain brain function as we age?'" e Salk team's discovery opens the door to more targeted research that could have massive implications for people who've experienced severe brain injury or are living with a brain disorder, offering hope that someday we may be able to dramatically assist the brain in its ability to repair itself. In the meantime, says Allen, if you want to keep your brain healthy, the best bet is to keep doing what we already know we should: maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and sleep. F rom the blank slate of infancy, the brain is a flurry of activity, ever flexible and adaptable as it takes information and cements its learnings into its circuitry. is ability to change, learn, and make connections, known as neuroplasticity, reduces over time as more and more connections are made, locking in valuable knowledge and memories so we're not constantly having to relearn things. "A lot of development is kind of messy," says Nicola Allen, PhD, a Salk Institute neuroscientist. "You have billions of neurons that need to make trillions of connections with each other, and they have to be the right connections. What's important is that once you've been through this really important but also energetically demanding development, you get the circuit wired up correctly." Allen explains that once the correct circuitry is determined, your brain effectively "locks" what's been learned in place. Over time, the ability to make those new connections decreases, moving from actively adaptive to a more stable state. A recent breakthrough study co-authored by Allen discovered a key component in locking in connections and establishing stability in the brain: a protein, called CCN1, released by glia cells called astrocytes. "But what it then means on the flip side is that then, if you have a brain injury, for example, where you want to bring back its plasticity to repair what's happened, it might not happen very well because you have too much of these inhibitory cues present," explains Allen. BY DEANNA MURPHY Focus health LEFT Nicola Allen, PhD BELOW A protein called CCN1, released by glia cells called astrocytes (pictured here), has been identified as a key component in establishing stability in the brain ranchandcoast.com 38 FEBRUARY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE