Researchers from Kyoto University have made a groundbreaking discovery that cells can detect and react to sound waves, changing their gene activity and behavior. The study, published in Communications Biology, exposed living cells to different frequencies of sound and tracked the responses.
The researchers used a vibration transducer and cell culture dish to emit sounds at various frequencies and pressures, which were similar to natural sound pressure inside body tissues. They focused on three types of acoustic patterns: low tone, high tone, and white noise.
After just two hours of exposure, 42 genes had changed their activity levels, while after 24 hours, that number jumped to 145. These changes weren’t random but were tied to stress response, cell migration, fat cell development, and other cellular processes.
The study found that different genes responded differently to sound, with some turning on briefly and then off, while others remained active for longer periods. This phenomenon was similar to how cells behave when exposed to hormones or growth signals.
One gene, Ptgs2 (Cox-2), was particularly significant as it got activated fast in response to sound and helped trigger other changes in the cells. The researchers also discovered that this response required a protein called focal adhesion kinase (FAK).
The study’s findings suggest that sound can block the development of fat cells, which could lead to new doors in obesity treatment or body fat management without the need for drugs or surgery.
This research challenges the long-held belief that only ears and brains process sound. Instead, it reveals that our whole body might be wired to hear, albeit quietly. The study’s results open up new possibilities for using sound as a non-invasive tool for treating disease, with fewer risks and faster recovery times compared to traditional methods.
The discovery of how cells respond to sound also raises questions about the impact of our environment on our biology. Everyday sounds, background noise, or music could be influencing our biology in subtle but powerful ways.
Source: https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/new-research-finds-that-cells-detect-and-react-to-sound-waves/