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Discovery of a Novel Cell Adhesion Mechanism

By 23 de October de 2009November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 23.10.2009

Discovery of a Novel Cell Adhesion Mechanism

A team of researchers in the BioNanoPhotonics group led by María García-Parajo in the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) -located at the Barcelona Science Park– has discovered that in the process of cell adhesion lipid rafts are organized around GPI-anchored proteins and close to LFA-1. The proteins activate LFA-1 and assist throughout the whole process of immune cell adhesion and migration.The mechanisms controlling protein organization and cell-cell interaction in the immune system have implications for a large number of autoimmune diseases and allergies, as well as for the rapid transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, all phenomena that may be caused by defective cell adhesion. Discoveries made in this area—including those of the IBEC group—will broaden the possibilities for the development of new treatments for these diseases. These results were obtained using a superresolution optical technique called near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), which makes it possible to work at the nanoscale level. The IBEC team adapted thetechnique to work with biological samples, cells, and biological processes in their natural state.