Breakthrough discovery in Queensland brain stem cell research

A recent biological discovery about the resting state of stem cells could lead to breakthroughs in brain health and cancer therapy treatments.

Jul 17, 2025, updated Jul 17, 2025
Dr Lachlan Harris in the lab at work. Photos: Supplied
Dr Lachlan Harris in the lab at work. Photos: Supplied
Dr Lachlan Harris in the lab at work. Photos: Supplied

A collaborative study conducted by QIMR Berghofer and London’s Francis Crick Institute explored the resting state of brain stem cells.

Scientists identified how brain stem cells transition between deep and shallow resting states, called ‘quiescence’, to create new nerve cells. This combats long-held beliefs that the neurons we were born with are all we ever have.

What is ‘quiescence’?

The deep quiescence of brain stem cells enhances resilience, similar to a state of hibernation. Shallower resting states prime the cells to respond to injury and generate new nerve cells.

These cells can lower their metabolism, preserved for when disease or injury strikes. This crucial discovery shows how the brain can self-repair and assist with memory and cognitive fitness.

Dr Lachlan Harris, Head of Cancer Neuroscience at QIMR Berghofer is the primary researcher and senior author on this study. He says this is the first time the step-by-step process of “waking up” brain stem cells has been described.

“It has broad implications for brain injury, degeneration, and ageing, while also relevant to brain cancer, where tumour cells may exploit similar “sleep states” to evade treatment and drive resistance,” Harris said.

Quiescence has been observed in all mammals, from their brains to muscle and blood. Cancer cells also possess this ability to become dormant, which explains why so many cancer patients experience a relapse post treatment.

Dr Harris was assisted by Berghofer’s Rebecca Johnston and Dr Chandra Choudhury. Piero Rigo, Dr Sara Ahmed de Prado and Dr François Guillemot of the Crick Institute were also integral to the study.

With experiments for this study starting back in November 2020, this is a discovery five years in the making.

What does this mean for brain health?

Dr Harris and his team hope to learn how to manipulate the quiescence of brain stem cells to provide an answer to brain disorder treatments.

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“Could we wake these cells up at the same time as therapy to make them more sensitive? Alternatively, could we keep these cells asleep indefinitely?” Harris said.

Certain factors can trigger the generation of new brain cells in the adult brain, particularly exercise, environmental enrichment and certain drugs like anti-depressants.

Most brain stem cell studies are conducted on rodents, but the quiescence process is highly conserved. Therefore, it is highly likely that these findings will apply to the human brain, with the few good-quality human brain studies supporting what has already been discovered.

There are also factors that contribute to the reduction of new stem cell growth.

“Ageing makes cells enter deep states of sleep and this reduces the production of new nerve cells. There is some suggestion that humans with neurodegenerative conditions have more quiescent cells too,” Harris said.

The team hopes to design strategies to increase cell production to treat degenerative disorders of the nervous system.

What’s next?

The team’s next goal is to explore why exercise, ageing and degenerative disorders affect the quiescence of stem cells.

Harris explained the research process was like walking up a mountain obscured by clouds, unable to see how high up you are.

“Nothing is guaranteed but with more work and funding, we can walk faster, and get there sooner,” Harris said.

“It’s a transformational step that builds on an ancient biological process, offering hope for tackling one of the most stubborn challenges in medicine.”

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