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Shaping Up
22 November 2012

Shaping Up

Our bodies contain roving cells which travel round helping with important tasks like wound healing. But these mobile cells can also contribute to human ailments including cancer and inflammation. To understand the process better researchers look for genes involved by observing their effect on cell movement. Genes which affect a cell’s mobility are likely to also affect its shape. Researchers used this reasoning to search for relevant genes. The bottom right window shows normal cells and in each of the other windows a different gene controlling movement has been ‘knocked down’ so it’s barely active. As predicted the cells all have different shapes. This approach was lucrative, as it identified many involved genes and novel therapeutic targets. Some of those genes have previously been implicated in disorders affecting brain function, such as Down’s Syndrome. This research has established a new link between cell shape and neurological disease.

Written by Julie Webb

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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