Cancer researchers may inspire new area of research in cellular biology
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 - 10:30
in Biology & Nature
New research has some scientists wondering if the entire study of cellular biology needs to be adjusted. Researchers made the discovery that mitochondria are capable of passing through the healthy membrane of a host cell into defective tumor cells, possibly kicking off the rapid proliferation of tumour cells which is the hallmark of cancer. Until now each cell was believed to be a unique entity, with mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) bound within the cell membrane. New research has found this mtDNA is capable of moving from a healthy cell to a dysfunctional tumor cell.