Receptors are cellular components that trigger internal changes based on external signals. Researchers have built a new synthetic receptor with incredibly broad potential to program cell activity, including immune response and neurological signaling.
A basic function of cells is that they act in response to their environments. It makes sense, then, that a goal of scientists is to control that process, making cells respondOne avenue for this ambition is cell receptors, which function like ignition slots on a cell, requiring keys -- such as specific hormones, drugs, or antigens -- to start up specific cellular activities.
"G-protein coupled receptors, normally, can be activated by specific small molecules that bind in a pocket in the receptor," explained Nicholas Kalogriopoulos, a postdoctoral fellow in the Ting lab and co-lead author of the paper."Essentially, what we did is fuse something that blocks that pocket, and it only opens up when it binds something you've chosen."
In lab experiments, the researchers used PAGER to alter neuronal activity in a cell culture and a section of mouse brain, control T-cell migration, change the inflammatory state of macrophages , and secrete therapeutic antibodies in response to the presence of tumor antigens. "We've made PAGER easily programmable, and we would love to apply it to all sorts of places, but we don't have the expertise for that," said Kalogriopoulos."We need people who actually study the biology of a specific disease or cellular function because they know the proper inputs and outputs. So I'm really excited for people to take it and start using it."
Human Biology Stem Cells Opium Social Psychology Perception Cell Biology Molecular Biology Genetics
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