A Master Molecule: A single protein molecule may hold the key to turning cardiac stem cells into blood vessels or muscle tissue, providing a new way to treat heart attack patients. In the online edition of Science Signaling, Professor Andre Levchenko writes about his discovery of a molecule called p190RhoGAP that directs the development of cardiac stem cells. The protein molecule prods these cardiac stem cells to become either blood vessels or heart muscle. Researchers were able to affect the future of cell development by altering the level of this protein.
Shape Matters: The shape of nanoparticles that move DNA through the body may have a big impact on how well these particles treat cancer and other diseases. In the online edition of Advanced Materials, Hai-Quan Mao, a Whiting School associate professor of materials science and engineering, shows that the shape and size of a nanoparticle may have an impact on its ability to carry DNA into certain cells. The work holds promise for developing efficient methods of gene therapy without using viruses.