Two University of Aberdeen scientists are part of an international team which has made a major breakthrough in our understanding of brain development. Their findings also suggest that smoking cannabis during pregnancy may affect the brain development of the unborn baby.
Dr Ann Rajnicek and Dr Ruth Ross are among a collaboration of neuroscientists led by Dr Tibor Harkany of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm - soon to take up a position at the University of Aberdeen's Institute of Medical Sciences – who have published the paper Hardwiring the Brain: How Endocannabinoids Shape Neuronal Connectivity in the top journal Science.
The scientists' discovery centres on naturally occurring molecules in the body called 'endogenous cannabinoids' that act in the same way that cannabis does in our bodies by attaching to the same targets or receptors found on the surface of nerve cells.
The researchers have discovered that once these molecules – or endocannabinoids - have attached or bound with their target receptors the resulting signals help to guide the growth of nerve cells in the embryonic brain.
This is a crucial process because the brain is like a complex electrical circuit in which nerve cells need to be hardwired correctly.
Dr Ann Rajnicek, Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen's Institute of Medical Sciences, said: "The research has led to a deeper understanding of how the brain develops and how cells grow to the destinations that they need to reach for the brain to function properly.
"Our research has important implications. Although we did not test marijuana-derived compounds directly, our data suggest that marijuana use during pregnancy could affect development of the fetal brain.
"Our work opens up exciting possibilities for further research, particularly with the imminent move of Dr Tibor Harkany, from the Karolinska Institute, to the School of Medical Sciences, here at the University of Aberdeen."
Dr Ruth Ross, Senior Lecturer in Neuropharmacology at the University's Institute of Medical Sciences, added: "This is the first key evidence showing that molecules in our body similar to those found in cannabis play a key role in the development of the fetal brain. The research also has implications for the effects of cannabis smoking on the adolescent brain, which is still undergoing development.
"Here at the University of Aberdeen we are discovering that these molecules are important in many processes in the body including bone development, pain processing and appetite. Ultimately we hope our understanding of these molecules will lead to the development of new drugs for the treatment of a wide range of key diseases."
Professor Colin McCaig, Head of the University's School of Medical Sciences, added: "This is exciting and highly novel work that will be of major interest internationally. It continues and extends the University of Aberdeen's reputation as a world-leading centre for biomedical studies on cannabinoids."