Clarify how lung cells grow

2003/06/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Anatomia/Fisiologia

The migration of a protein controls the growth of pulmonary epithelial cells. Another participates in the mechanism. The two proteins are in the cell membrane, but the control has a secret: each protein remains in a specific place of the membrane while it does not have to grow.

Experts have long known that both proteins work together in the lungs to control tissue growth. On the one hand, hereguline binds to the other with the protein erbB2 and starts the mechanism of creation of new cells. However, when it is not necessary to grow, both proteins are found in the cell membrane. So why doesn't growth always occur?

To prevent continuous growth, the cell "stores" the hereguline in the part that is in contact with the air. When a wound occurs and tissue needs to grow, hereguline migrates to start the process in search of the erbB2 protein. Now researchers want to investigate the relationship between this distinction and different diseases.