According to a New Study...

A hormone known as insulin-like growth factor is heavily involved in nerve connections dealing with the human sense of smell, a group of researchers, including two from the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University Medical Center, has found.

IGF plays this newly discovered role in addition to its previously known function of stimulating cell growth and division.

After conducting extensive experimentation on mutant mice, the scientists found that IGF helps create nerve connections between odor receptors in the nose and olfactory bulbs located in the brain, which are capable of analyzing hundreds of different smells. In particular, IGF seems to be important in guiding the movement of axons, the long portions of nerve cells which help carry electrical signals to the brain.

“A role for IGF signaling in neuronal patterning is beginning to emerge that is distinct from the classical view of IGFs as growth-promoting factors,” the researchers wrote in an article. “It remains unclear, however, whether IGFs play a wider role in neuronal patterning or serve as instructive cues affecting axon guidance and axon targeting decisions.

The researchers also stated that knowledge about the hormone and its impact on nerve connections could one day be critical in stem cell procedures to treat neurological disorders, though much more research will be needed to reach that point.

sandeep.soman@columbiaspectator.com