Shining a Light on the Rare Nerve Disease NF2 (IMAGE)
Caption
New findings published in Science Signaling suggest that targeting mechanical signals between cells may become a fresh approach to fighting cancer. The concept flows from discovering a network of proteins that appear to interact with a protein called Merlin when people have the rare disease neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2). Merlin is closely associated with a network of signaling proteins at cellular junctions. This implicates Merlin in signaling at these structures and suggests that this signaling is lost in tumor cells when Merlin does not function, say experts at Cincinnati Children's. This image shows where these proteins are localized in cells. Merlin is glowing green while Merlin-interacting proteins glow red. The thick yellow line is a cell junction where Merlin and this network of interacting proteins are both located.
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Cincinnati Children's
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