Innovative Scientific Development: Comprehensive Atlas of the Internal Sensory System

In a groundbreaking scientific development, a team from the Scripps Research Institute and the Allen Institute has received the Transformative Research Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop the first comprehensive atlas of the internal sensory system. This project is led by Nobel laureate neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian, with contributions from Li Ye, head of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Scripps, and Bosiljka Tasic, director of the Molecular Genetics Department at the Allen Institute.

Significant Investment in Brain and Body Research

The team has secured $14.2 million in funding over five years to execute this ambitious project. This funding represents substantial support for an initiative aimed at mapping the intricate internal sensory system and the interaction between the nervous system and internal organs.

The project seeks to leverage Patapoutian’s expertise, who co-won the 2021 Nobel Prize for discovering cellular sensors that detect touch, to gain a deeper understanding of the internal sense known as interoception.

Unique Insight into the Internal Sixth Sense

The internal sense, unlike traditional senses such as sight and hearing, relies on a vast network of neurons that detect what occurs inside the body. These neural circuits monitor vital processes like circulation, digestion, and immune activity.

Despite its fundamental role, the internal sense has not been extensively studied due to the difficulty in measuring it and the complexity of the signals it produces.

Mapping Brain-Body Connections

With support from the NIH, researchers at the Scripps and Allen Institutes plan to map how sensory neurons connect to a variety of internal organs, including the heart and digestive system.

Part of the project involves labeling sensory neurons and using comprehensive body imaging to trace their pathways from the spinal cord to various organs, which will aid in producing a high-resolution three-dimensional map.

Another part of the project will employ genetic profiling to differentiate between various types of cells, such as neurons that send signals from the intestines, bladder, or adipose tissues.

Importance of the Internal Sense for Health

By decoding how the internal sense functions, scientists aim to uncover fundamental principles of brain-body communication that could lead to new treatments for diseases.

The internal sense is crucial for nearly every aspect of health, with its disorders linked to a range of conditions including autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, neurodegenerative diseases, and hypertension.

Conclusion

This project represents a significant step towards a deeper understanding of the internal sensory system and its interaction with various body organs. By creating the first atlas of this system, researchers aim to lay the groundwork for a better understanding of how the brain maintains balance in the body, how this balance can be disrupted in disease, and how it can be restored.