HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED: NEW

METHOD IMPROVES SINGLE-CELL

GENOMICS ANALYSES AND HOW CELLSCOMMUNICATED

Melissa Cano Bustamante

Medicine Student

3 semester

INTRODUCTION

Molecular studies of cells are leading to

discover the more complex structure and

function of tissues, and how this

intervenes in the pathophysiology of

diseases. During years scientists have

made a laborious job to understand the

origin of diseases that in our society are

being more prevalent than some

decades ago, such as cancer and

congenital malformations. To get into this,

scientist must know how exactly these

structures and functions are, how they

interact with other factors in the genesis

of disease and in this way, try to develop

alternatives of treatments to these ones.

HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED:

NEW METHOD IMPROVES SINGLE-

CELL GENOMICS ANALYSES.

EUROPEAN BIOINFORMATICS

INSTITUTE EMBL-EBI

JANUARY 19, 2015

HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED: NEW METHOD

IMPROVES SINGLE-CELL GENOMICS ANALYSES.

By this way, in a specific tissue we

can group cells according to their

genetic expression profile and in

these groups of cells find subtypes

of cells with specific roles in

particular, in which pathological

changes of them, could explain

pathophysiology of diseases such

as neoplasms.

HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED: NEW METHOD

IMPROVES SINGLE-CELL GENOMICS ANALYSES.

They can can use known

molecular pathways to better

understand cancer cells,

differentiation processes and the

pathogenesis of diseases

As analysis of the RNA sequence

of a single cell to understand how

genes are expressed in different

types of healthy tissue and

cancer.

HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED: NEW METHOD

IMPROVES SINGLE-CELL GENOMICS ANALYSES.

It provides data on the gene-

expression profiles of hundreds of

individual cells in a single

experiment, producing an exact

picture of the individual cell

types.

some cells will be new and some

old, and at any given point in

time they will be at different

stages of the cell cycle. Most cell

types also have hidden sub-types,

each of which may have a

distinct function.

STUDENT OBSERVATION

In my opinion, this method is important because, it let us to understand the

complexity of cell function as a consequence of its genetic material and to

find possibilities of treatment, for instance: cancer, by detecting molecular

abnormalities that with other methods remained undiscovered and by

developing new drugs that target these abnormalities.

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF

TECHNOLOGY

JANUARY 14, 2015

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

During embryonal development of

vertebrates, signaling molecules

inform each cell at which position

it is located. In this way, the cell

can develop its special structure

and function.

that signaling molecules, which are

transmitted by bundles via long

filamentary cell projections,

indicate cells “what to do”. These

signal molecules are called

morphogenes.

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

These morphogenes are distributed

in a heterogeneously way in tissues,

so they have different

concentrations and could activate

various genes in target cells and in

this way, they could form specific

tissues and organs and also perform

specific roles.

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

Changes in concentration of these morphogenes could lead

to malformations during embryonal development and also

development of cancer.

STUDENT OBSERVATION

I think, the discovery of these signal molecules “morphogenes”, let us to

understand how specific tissues and organs are made in embryo and to

explain how different congenital diseases such malformations are

developed. In the other hand, different external factors such as

teratogenic substances, for instance drugs (Thalidomide), could interact

with these morphogenes and alter their structure and function. It’s possible

that based in these morphogenes, scientists could develop new

alternatives in treatment of congenital disorders.

MEDICAL UTILITY

According to the information derived from these studies, there is a lot of

things we could use in modern medicine. It is surprising how molecular

biology through its studies about genetics, shows the most awesome

discoveries on a single structure, which is so small and so important for life

such as the cell. We could find in cells and their inner structures, the life

enigma, its variety, changes and the most important fact in medicine such

as disease, its pathophysiology, most of it hidden in its genetic information.

MEDICAL UTILITY

Development of these new technologies and discoveries form themselves

essential pieces of new options in treatment of important diseases in our

modern society, for instance Cancer, which has a big mortality worldwide

and therefore its treatment must be improved and must be harmless to our

organism. The best way to do this, is through methods and outcomes from

these studies, that represent hope and future of modern medicine.

HIDDEN CELL TYPES REVEALED: NEW METHOD

IMPROVES SINGLE-CELL GENOMICS ANALYSES.

Cancer cells, differentiation processes and the pathogenesis of various

diseases can be better explored and understood when they are based

only on known, detailed cell profiles. These model now makes it possible to

create such profiles using single-cell genomics.

HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE

Organisms, organs, and tissues are complex three-dimensional systems that

consist of thousands of cells of various types. During embryonal

development of vertebrates, each cell requires information on the position

at which it is located in the tissue. This position information enables the cell

to develop a certain cell type for later execution of the correct function.

This information is transmitted via signal molecules, so-called morphogenes

BIBLIOGRAPHY

European Bioinformatics Institute EMBL-EBI. "Hidden cell types revealed:

New method improves single-cell genomics analyses." ScienceDaily.

ScienceDaily, 19 January 2015.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150119124553.htm

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. "How cells communicate." ScienceDaily.

ScienceDaily, 14 January 2015.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150114072703.htm