Wednesday 31 December 2014

Ciliopathies and human diseases


Cilia, microscopic, tentacle-like extensions from biological cells, have risen from relative obscurity and are now considered important to the understanding of many human afflictions. Ciliopathies often make themselves known as syndromes with widely varying effects on a number of tissue types. This is the subject of a new study.

There are number of human diseases in which cilia may play a role; for example, some cancers and neurological diseases may be related to ciliopathies. Because of the limitations placed on research involving humans, the authors propose the use of model species ranging from the green alga Chlamydomonas to the house mouse to further study the role of cilia. The study authors write, "We can anticipate that new and improved techniques will open new avenues for gaining further insight into these immensely important and ever more fascinating cell organelles."

For details see:

Jason M. Brown and George B. Witman. Cilia and Diseases. BioScience, December 2014 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu174


Posted by Tim Sandle

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