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Discovery Shows New Role for Cilia

Albany, N.Y., November 8, 2007-New research from Albany Medical College scientists and their research partners has found a surprising role for cilia, the microscopic hair-like structures found on many types of cells. It's been known that cilia residing on unique cells in the ears help us hear, and those located in the eyes help us detect light. Now, scientists have found that cilia located in nerve cells in the brain play a role in our sense of touch by contributing to our ability to detect temperature changes and to feel things contacting our skin.

Cilia on nerve cells have previously been thought not to play any role at all, with the best guess being they were vestigial-useful in some animals but no longer useful in others (like our tailbones or the muscles that can wiggle our ears). "Functional cilia were not expected on nerve cells that supply sensation to the skin. The relevance of this finding is it might give us a better insight into certain diseases of cilia dysfunction and even the causes of chronic pain," said Frank Rice, Ph.D., a professor in the Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience at Albany Medical College, who conducted the research in conjunction with research teams from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and University College London. The study was featured on the cover of a recent (Oct. 30) issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers found that mice with genetic mutations that interfere with cilia function respond more slowly to physical stimuli. In humans, these mutations cause a serious genetic disease known as Bardet-Biedl syndrome that can cause blindness, loss of hearing, mental retardation and even the loss of kidney function. The researchers also studied nine people with this syndrome, and found that they, too, had slower reactions to physical stimuli compared to people without the disorder. Thus, the findings of the research may also help doctors better understand this syndrome and another ailment linked to faulty cilia, polycystic kidney disease, a more common inherited disorder in which numerous cysts form on the kidneys that can eventually lead to kidney failure. Malfunctioning cilia on renal cells cause the cells to die and cysts to form.

Dr. Rice, who is a leading authority on nerve endings in the skin, has published several papers on serious chronic pain conditions caused by shingles, nerve injuries and diabetes. This research has also appeared on the covers of such prestigious journals as Pain and Nature Medicine.