Breakthrough in cell-type analysis offers new ways to study development and disease

14.11.08 - 14:25 ... source : Rockefeller University

... Like skilled assassins, many diseases seem to know exactly what types of cells to attack. While decimating one cadre of cells, diseases will inexplicably spare a seemingly identical group of neighbors. What makes cells vulnerable or not depends largely on the kinds and amounts of proteins they produce — their "translational profile," in the lingo of molecular biology. For this reason, scientists have struggled to parse the subtle molecular differences among the hundreds of specialized cell types that are tangled together in tissues like the brain. Now, in back-to-back papers in the November 14 issue of the journal Cell, researchers at The Rockefeller University report a breakthrough in cellular analysis that slashes through this Gordian knot. The scientists have developed a method to reveal translational profiles by isolating the genetic messages that govern protein production in different ce ...» Next (HTML)