Biologists Uncover Previously Unknown Structure Hiding Inside Human Cells

Even after decades of gaze in cells, biologists still find surprises.

In a phrase, researchers from the University of Virginia and the National Institutes of Health uncovered a new organelle called hemifusoma. This tiny membrane -bound structure serves as a cellular recycling center and can hold the key to the treatment of several genetic diseases. Research was published in Natural communication.

“This is like the discovery of a new recycling center in the cell” opinion. “We believe that the hemifusom helps how to manage cell package and process material, and if this process goes wrong, it can contribute to diseases that affect many systems in the body.”

Scientists had not previously identified the structure because it only appears if necessary. But thanks to the cryoelectronic tomography-a imaging technology that flashes cells and in 3D and in almost atomic resolution-the researchers observe the short-lived structure.

The researchers say that hemifusomes can support the formation of cellular vesicles and tiny sacks that transmit and combine material throughout the cell. They could also help form other organelles that consist of several vesicles, according to the study. However, some clues show that hemifusomes do not participate in endocytosis, the traditional path, devour external material through the cells.

“You can imagine Vesikel like small vans in the cell,” said Ebrahim in a statement. “The hemifusoma is like a charging cock to which you connect and transfer freight. It is a step in the process that we did not know about it.”

Despite their fleeting nature, hemifusomes are not uncommon. They seem surprisingly common in certain parts of cells, especially near the cell membrane.

However, scientists are not exactly sure how or why hemifusomes form and then disappear. They hope to find out – and understand what happens if hemifusomes do not work properly. The root of many genetic disorders are problems with the handling of loading with charge.

“This is just the beginning,” said Ebrahim in a statement. “After knowing that hemifusomes exist, we can ask ourselves how they behave in healthy cells and what happens when something goes wrong. This could lead to new strategies for the treatment of complex genetic diseases.”