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Global Translational Medicine Traumatic memories in PTSD

cognitive functions may be distributed throughout the Anecdotally, we recall a patient with cysticercosis
body to reduce the risk of memory loss due to brain injuries who was treated years earlier. He behaved, walked,
or pathology. They are probably encoded in the molecular and generally talked. The only complaints were mild
networks of all cells. For instance, the cellular cytoskeleton forgetfulness and word-finding difficulties. The resident
communicates with the proteins of the extracellular matrix physician performed a dementia work-up, including an
through integrins and lipid rafts (membrane windows that MRI of the brain. We observed surprising results and
unite intracellular and extracellular molecular networks), wondered how this patient could be alive. He had very
generating global assemblies. 36 little brain parenchyma left. Although numerous cysts
The proteins in molecular networks are believed to were detected throughout his CNS, he appeared to be
encode memory in a quantum manner by altering the minimally impaired. This individual and others like him
conformational dynamics of various molecules. Proteins are proof that information and memories are stored not
only in the brain but also in cells throughout the body. This
have unique properties that facilitate information may explain the patient’s normal functioning despite the
processing and storage. Proteins fold along specific lines loss of cerebral volume. In fact, the amount of information
such as in origami, connect instantly with each other in
a Lego-like manner, and, such as transformers, build new in the DNA, which is present in every single cell of the
structures from the old components. Proteins can also exist body, ensures that the genetic information is not lost or
altered. Moreover, our muscles and tendons “remember”
as two-state systems, engendering logic gates, the building the old postures we have long abandoned. Immune cells
blocks of quantum circuits. 37
recall previous infections, as shown by studies that 36% of
The molecular network-mediated memory allows storing patients with heart transplants inherit bits and pieces of the
information in neurons and most body cells, engendering donor’s personality. 38,47
a decentralized “blockchain” cognition. Conditions such
as phantom limb, pseudocyesis, psychogenic blindness, 2.2. Cellular senescence
or cardiac transplant recipients adopting the donor’s In 1961, Leonard Hayflick found that human somatic
personality traits demonstrate that cells and molecules can cells do not replicate indefinitely but exit the cell cycle
harbor memories and behavioral patterns. 38,39 after 40 – 60 divisions, the so-called Hayflick’s limit.
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In severe mental illness (SMI), including PTSD, These cells enter a state of replicative senescence marked
cells throughout the body undergo premature cellular by proliferative arrest in which they remain alive, have an
senescence, a phenotype triggered by dysfunctional tight active metabolism, and release toxic molecules known as
junctions. 40,41 At the level of the gut and blood–brain the SASP.
barrier (BBB), senescent cells increase permeability further, A few decades later, it was discovered that in addition
enabling microbial migration into the host circulation to replicative senescence, human cells can activate the
and eventually reaching the brain. Senescent glial cells senescence program in response to various insults,
and multipotent stem cells stop replicating or replicate including damaged DNA or plasma membranes, suggesting
sporadically. In contrast, the opposite phenomenon occurs that senescence is a default state responsible for averting
in cancer, with the occurrence of uncontrolled proliferation, cell/neuronal loss.
suggesting that senescence and tumorigenesis act like the Over the past few years, it became clear that SMI also
two faces of Janus.
triggers cellular, including neuronal and CEC, senescence,
Ancient viruses inherited from our predecessors, thereby disrupting the BBB, a characteristic of several
namely, human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), dwell neuropsychiatric disorders.
in our DNA, comprising approximately 8% of the genome. 42
At present, the exact mechanism of how mental illness,
HERVs are activated by different pathologies, including including PTSD, triggers senescence remains unclear.
cancer, SMI, and contemporary viruses, including SARS- Nevertheless, it may involve viruses because virus-
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CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. mediated lipid peroxidation may activate senescence.
Some HERVs have become “domesticated” and “work” For instance, under normal circumstances, cholesterol
for the human host. For instance, HERV-W ENV encodes negatively regulates cellular senescence, whereas oxidized
a placental protein that, under pathological conditions, cholesterol triggers this phenotype. Furthermore, in
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may cause infertility. Another example is the activity- neuropsychiatric illnesses, including PTSD, cells become
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regulated cytoskeleton-associated (Arc) protein derived senescent before reaching Hayflick’s limit, whereas cancer
from an ancestral virus, which is expressed primarily in the cells never undergo senescence and continue to replicate
brain, promoting synaptic plasticity, learning, and LTP. 45,46 indefinitely. An anticancer therapeutic strategy involves
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Volume 3 Issue 4 (2024) 3 doi: 10.36922/gtm.3974