A proposed embedded ethics approach facilitates ethically responsible research with human stem-cell-based embryo models by integrating continuous dialogue among scientists, ethicists, and regulators. This framework helps build trust and serves as a public policy tool to ensure that research meets both scientific and societal values.
A new imaging technique, Lipid-CLEM, has revealed the detailed organization of lipids in cellular membranes at the nanoscale. The technique allows for 3D visualization of lipid densities in membrane nanodomains, providing insights into lipid sorting and behavior within complex cellular structures.
Dresden researchers have developed a system to test multiple compounds on human pancreatic organoids, identifying 54 compounds that affect pancreas development. These compounds inhibit the GSK3A/B protein and drive progenitor cells to differentiate into functional acinar cells. The ability to generate acinar organoids is valuable for s...
Scientists created three-dimensional pancreatic models to study the development of fluid-filled cavities. They found that low pressure and high cell proliferation rates produce complex, star-shaped lumens. The discovery can help understand organ development and diagnose diseases.
Researchers at MPI-CBG have created a patient-specific human liver model consisting of three liver cell types, capturing key aspects of human liver physiology in a dish. The novel model provides a platform to study liver diseases, develop new treatments, and advance personalized medicine.
Researchers discovered that a small tissue fold, cephalic furrow, plays a crucial role in stabilizing embryonic tissues during fruit fly development. The formation of the furrow absorbs compressive stresses and prevents mechanical instabilities.
A new imaging approach enables visualization of specific lipids in cells, revealing that non-vesicular lipid transport by proteins is the primary mechanism maintaining organelle membrane composition. This breakthrough has implications for understanding lipid imbalances in diseases and accelerating discoveries of new drug targets.
A new organoid model reconstructs the liver periportal region and models aspects of cholestatic liver injury and biliary fibrosis. The model combines different cells assembled together in a stepwise process, enabling the study of molecular and cellular mechanisms of liver disease.
Researchers uncover glycolysis' instructive potential in early embryonic development, controlling cell fate decisions and end-state appearance of stem cell-based embryo models. By manipulating glucose concentration, they demonstrate glycolysis' role as an upstream regulator of signalling pathways.
Researchers from Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics found a new mechanism for shaping animal tissues through collective, programmed cell behaviors. This discovery could help understand how tissues form in animals and provides a new approach to studying tissue-shaping processes.
Scientists from Max Planck Institute have developed an open-source supercomputer algorithm to solve complex mathematical equations of active matter theory. This enables the study of biological materials' patterning and dynamics in space and time.
High pressure in bile canaliculi alters liver tissue structure, leading to the formation of liver cell rosettes observed in various liver diseases. The study identifies pressure as a potential cause of biliary obstruction-related diseases.
Researchers developed a methodology to link gene activity with cellular behavior in human pancreas cells, revealing the dynamic behaviors of pancreatic cells and their role in diabetes. The study shows that certain genes, such as NEUROG3, are active for short periods during development and have implications for therapeutic applications.
Researchers discovered a new nematode species in Siberian permafrost with molecular toolkit for survival, sharing similarities with Caenorhabditis elegans. The species, Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, can survive extreme conditions by producing trehalose and mild dehydration exposure.
Researchers developed DeMAG, an open-source web server facilitating accurate interpretation of genetic mutations in disease genes. The tool reduces false positives by integrating structural and evolutionary features, enabling medical professionals to make informed clinical decisions.
Studies suggest that four genetic variants controlling eye pigmentation also regulate retinal health, with imbalances linked to diseases like neurodegenerative conditions. The kynurenine pathway's metabolites play a crucial role in maintaining retinal health.
Researchers from MPI-CBG and IMP define metrics for organ development, providing a framework to transform the field of organoids into an engineering discipline. They discover that tissue connectivity emerges from two processes: fusion of separate epithelia or self-fusion of a single epithelium.
A team of scientists has identified a key gene that enables beta cells to communicate with each other, enabling the pancreas to respond to glucose by insulin secretion. The discovery could help create replacement beta cells for diabetes therapy in the future.
A team of researchers from MPI-CBG discovered that thousands of short-lived droplet-like condensates made up of actin filaments generate a first cortex in C. elegans after fertilization. This finding provides new insights into the formation and control of subcellular structures, crucial for cellular and developmental processes.
Researchers found that modern human brains produce more neurons than Neandertal brains, particularly in the frontal lobe, due to a single amino acid substitution in the TKTL1 protein. This increase is attributed to changes in metabolism and membrane lipid synthesis.
Researchers at MPI-CBG found that modern human variants cause longer metaphase and fewer chromosome segregation errors in neural stem cells, leading to more efficient brain development. This suggests that some aspects of modern human brain evolution may be independent of brain size.
Dresden researchers reveal how liquid-like protein droplets collectively read DNA regions to switch on genes. Thousands of individual transcription factors work together, interacting and identifying clusters of binding sites on the DNA surface.
Researchers found that alterations in the RNF43 and ZNRF3 genes lead to an accumulation of lipids and inflammation in the liver, increasing the risk of developing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fatty liver disease. These genetic changes also affect liver cell proliferation, contributing to the progression of liver diseases.
Researchers have visualized the entry routes of mRNA into cells and found that it must escape two barriers to reach the cytoplasm. The study reveals that late endosomes are counterproductive for delivery, increasing cell toxicity. Better vehicles for efficient mRNA delivery can now be developed.