http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2013/press.html
Date: October 7th 2013
Source: Nobelprize.org
This article shows the study of this year's Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine. The scientists, James Rothman, 62, Randy Schekman, 64, and Thomas Sudhof, 57, "Have discovered the mystery of how cells organize their transport system".
They learned about how cells keep track of and regulate the vesicles that are in charge of the system. They studied how cargo is moved around in a cell, and how traffic "congestion" is caused by mutated genes and basically leads to buildup of vesicles in certain areas. Also, the nature of the transport system which talks about the fusing of protein molecules to target membranes, and the specific combinations of these fusions. One particular scientist investigated how cells communicate with each other with signals, and realized that everything was very controlled and precise and timing was very important. They also used the information they gathered to benefit disease research for neurological and immunological diseases as well as diabetes and how without the cells intricate transport system the cell would collapse.The three scientists did most of this work separately, but each in turn helped the others.
This pertains to our study of cells in class, but it dives further into the complexity of how cells work and are so self sufficient.
What kind of signals do the cells use to communicate with each other?
ReplyDeleteHow does this information that the scientists found help treat neurological and immunological diseases and diabetes?
ReplyDeleteCells use a variety of signals to communicate, for example, in prokaryotic organisms have sensors that they use to detect nutrients. Some multicellular organisms have neurotransmitters that travel between to juxtaposed neurons. They receive these signals using proteins called receptors that they have in their cells.
ReplyDeleteThis study helps us look into how cells work and how they come about (through defective vesicle transport) so that we can work on helping stopping the cells from having the problems at the source.
ReplyDelete