Can skin and liver 'remember'? Does our body store memories everywhere?

For a long time, memory was thought to be a specialised function of the brain, with our neural circuits and brain cells handling all our memories. But recent research from New York University has turned this assumption on its head. According to this study, even cells outside the brain can store and retrieve memories, opening up a new view of how our entire body participates in the memory process. This discovery doesn’t just add to our understanding of memory—it could also change how we approach learning and treatment for memory-related disorders.

Memory basics: More than just brain files

Most of us think of memory as something our brain does automatically, like a file system storing and recalling information when needed. In simple terms, memory involves encoding experiences—like meeting someone or learning a new skill—into patterns that the brain can later retrieve. But these “files” may not just reside in the brain. Research is now showing that other parts of our body could also have memory-storage capabilities, suggesting that memory is a more widespread process than we once believed.

Can cells outside the brain “remember”?

The study led by Nikolay V. Kukushkin at New York University focused on whether cells outside the brain can also store memories. The team tested two types of non-brain human cells—one from nerve tissue and one from kidney tissue. They exposed these cells to patterns of chemical signals, simulating the patterns of neurotransmitters released when we learn something new. Incredibly, these non-brain cells responded by activating a “memory gene,” a gene also activated in brain cells to create lasting changes when learning occurs.

How non-brain cells act like brain?

To test the memory storage potential in non-brain cells, researchers used the “massed-space effect”—a learning principle that shows information retention improves when learning is spaced out over time rather than crammed in all at once. By applying spaced pulses of chemical signals, scientists found that non-brain cells “learned” in a similar way to neurons, strengthening their response when the signals were spread out over intervals. When the signals were crammed together without breaks, the cells were less likely to activate the memory gene, much like how cramming might make information harder to retain.

Could memory go beyond the brain?

There could be significant effects on learning, health, and even the treatment of disease if memory can be stored in other cells. The body may be able to better control blood sugar if cells in other organs, such as the pancreas, are able to recall previous glucose level patterns. The way we treat cancer recurrence may also be impacted by the possibility that a cancer cell will "remember" chemotherapy treatments.