A research team at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Molecular Biology has published findings on large-scale cell death during embryonic development, which it said can contribute to studies on cancer therapy by finding ways to inhibit tumor growth.
The process of rapid cell differentiation during early embryonic development in various lifeforms leading to growth of the multicelluar organism has been observed since the 19th century, but scientists were puzzled by the accompanying phase of massive cell death, Chen Sheng-hong (陳昇宏) and his team members said at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
The team’s findings were published online this month in the science journal Nature, entitled, “Emergence of large-scale cell death through ferroptotic trigger wave,” which Chen coauthored with Hannah Katrina C. Co (許碧領), Wu Chia-chou (吳嘉洲) and Lee Yi-chen.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
The team discovered that reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the trigger that initiates the ferroptosis process, an iron and lipid-peroxidation-dependent form of programmed cell death, Chen said, adding that the process is biochemically distinct from other forms of regulated cell death.
The study can contribute to cancer therapy, as activation of the process plays a regulatory role on growth of tumor cells in the human body, he said.
The study found the mechanism for ROS in regulating the ferroptotic trigger wave, with the team showing color images of trigger waves of ferroptosis propagating outward from dead cells through lipid peroxidation signals at the wave fronts.
The results also indicated that ferroptotic stress through suppression of amino acid cysteine uptake activates the ROS feedback loops.
The team demonstrated that ferroptosis and its propagation accompany the massive, yet spatially restricted, cell death events in their research on muscle growth of embryonic avian limbs.
“Our findings highlight the role of ferroptosis in coordinating cell death events, providing a paradigm for investigating large-scale cell death in embryonic development and human pathologies,” Chen said.
Other team members showed research modeling and illustrations on how ferroptotic cell death propagates through a cell population via self-regenerating ROS wave fronts.
Wu likened constructing a mathematical model for the ferroptotic trigger waves to assembling building blocks, selecting and arranging equations to resemble the regulatory logic underlying dynamics of ferroptotic trigger waves.
Chen said the team used 24-hour time-lapse imaging to capture cellular activity, and found that the propagation wave was like creating a work of art, where large-scale cell death helped the growing embryo to clean up and sculpt new regions for cellular growth.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS