Researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) have developed molecules that
Adhesive molecules naturallyare present in the body and hold tens of trillions of cells together in organized structures. They build neural networks and direct immune cells to specific areas of the body. Adhesion facilitates cellular communication to maintain the functioning of the body.
Now scientists have designed molecules to control which cells they interact with and also regulate the nature of this process.
Organs and tissues of the body are formed in utero andcontinue to develop after birth. Many of the molecular instructions that control these reproductive processes disappear in adulthood. And some tissues, such as nerves, are unable to recover from injury or disease.
Scientists have tried to fix this.They developed adhesion molecules that act as “cellular glue” and are made up of two parts. This will help control the quality of cell binding. One part of the molecule functions as a receptor outside the cell and selects which ones it will contact. The bond strength is regulated by a second component located inside. Both parts are interchangeable.
This “cellular glue” is also useful forresearch. Studying individual molecules will give scientists a complete understanding of how the transition from single-celled to multicellular species occurred. Cell adhesion was an important milestone in the evolution of mammals and other organisms.
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