idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
11/02/2021 16:35

Cancer biomarker important for human brain development

Anke Schlee Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie

    Neuronal migration is a fundamental step in the development of the central nervous system. Specific cells, so called basal progenitors (BPs), in humans contribute to neuronal expansion. The exact molecular and cellular processes of this expansion are poorly understood. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry discovered a new important role for the cancer biomarker protein LGALS3BP in this process. This gene is enriched in human neural progenitors (NPCs).

    Silvia Cappello’s team were able to show that individuals with specific genetics variants of LGALS3BP have differences in their cerebral cortex. Using a series of cutting-edge tools, including human cerebral organoids, they found that LGALS3BP controls the position of the NPCs and is involved in the NPCs’ anchoring and migration in the extracellular matrix within the human brain.

    “LGALS3BP is enriched in the developing human brain and its secretion in extracellular vesicles is essential for the correct folding of the cortex”, summarizes Cappello. This study is another example of how cerebral organoids can contribute to understanding normal and abnormal human brain development. The results are recently published in the well-known scientific journal Nature Communications.


    Contact for scientific information:

    Silvia Cappello: silvia_cappello@psych.mpg.de


    Original publication:

    Nature communications, Nov. 2021
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26447-w


    Images

    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists
    Biology, Medicine
    transregional, national
    Research results
    English


     

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).