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    Home > Biochemistry News > Biotechnology News > Blue light can trigger key signaling pathways in embryonic development and cancer

    Blue light can trigger key signaling pathways in embryonic development and cancer

    • Last Update: 2021-08-27
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Researchers at the University of Illinois urbana-champae (University of Illinois urbana-champae) have developed a method that uses blue light to activate the Wnt (pronounced "winter") signaling pathway in frog embryos


    A research team led by Kai Zhang, Professor of Biochemistry and Jing Yang, Professor of Comparative Biology, published their findings in the Journal of Molecular Biology and was selected as Featured communication, representing the top 1% of papers


    The Wnt pathway is activated by receptors on the cell surface and triggers a cascade reaction within the cell


    "During embryonic development, Wnt regulates the development of many organs, such as the head, spinal cord, and eyes


    Professor Zhang said that it is very difficult to achieve the necessary balance of standard methods (such as chemical stimulation) that regulate these pathways


    "Light as a treatment strategy has been used in photodynamic therapy, which has the advantages of biocompatibility and no residual effects in the exposed area


    The researchers demonstrated their technique and verified its tunability and sensitivity by stimulating the spinal cord and head development of frog embryos


    "As we continue to expand our photosensitive system to cover other important signaling pathways for embryonic development, we will provide the developmental biology community with a set of valuable tools that can help them determine the signal results of many developmental processes," said Professor Yang


    The researchers also hope that their research on Wnt's light-based technology can illuminate tissue repair and cancer research in human tissues


    "Because cancer usually involves over-activated signals, we envision a light-sensitive Wnt activator that can be used to study cancer progression in living cells," said Professor Zhang



    Vishnu V.



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