Cell Death in Development and Disease
The Life and Death of Cells
The development and maintenance of normal tissues and organs requires careful coordination between numerous distinct cell types. For early growth and development, cells need to proliferate and differentiate extensively to provide the specialized functions and structures of different organs. Subsequently, small populations of stem cells provide a constant supply of new cells to replenish dying cells within a tissue and maintain normal organ function. Not surprisingly, defects in any of these basic cellular processes can lead to disease. Most notably, uncontrolled cell proliferation, a block in cell differentiation, or the failure to initiate programmed cell death are often hallmarks of cancer.
MCCB researchers focus on all of these basic aspects of cell biology and their mis-regulation in disease settings. In this regard, MCCB researchers rely on a variety of model systems, including fruit fly, mouse, yeast, and zebrafish to study autophagy, cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and programmed cell death. Click on the links below to see more details concerning work in this area.
Our PIs that are conducting research in the area of Cell Death in Development and Disease:
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