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Time to Grow?
25 January 2013

Time to Grow?

It’s a tricky balancing act. Cells must multiply so that children can grow and adults can heal, but cells which keep on growing and dividing when not required can turn into cancer. Working out how cells know when to grow, and when to stop is key to understanding and preventing cancer. These pancreatic cells have been genetically engineered and chemically treated to knock out an enzyme (called Lbk1) that suppresses tumour formation. Without the enzyme the tissue enlarges to form a cyst and then collapses in on itself like a deflated soufflé. The cells lining the cyst are fluorescently labelled to show the surface proteins (red), cell-to-cell binding proteins (yellow) and nuclei (blue). These lab-created cysts are very similar to naturally occurring pre-cancerous cysts, and are helping researchers understand what the malignant trigger might be.

Written by Sarah McLusky

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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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