Researchers at Rice University are working to understand how a single cell evolves into the complex network of specialized cells that form the human body. Funded by a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the research team’s new study could advance our knowledge of developmental disorders and contribute to the future of regenerative medicine.
Led by Aryeh Warmflash, an associate professor of biosciences and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar in cancer research, the project will examine the critical role of proteins known as morphogens.
These proteins, whose nonuniform distribution governs the pattern of tissue development, guide the early stages of human development. Morphogens are responsible for sending positional signals to cells within an embryo, helping them determine their specific roles in forming various body structures.
Among the critical morphogens being studied by Warmflash and his lab are Nodal and its inhibitors, Lefty1 and Lefty2. However, due to their low concentrations and rapidly changing patterns, observing these proteins in action has been a longstanding challenge for scientists.
Warmflash’s research team is overcoming these obstacles by employing cutting-edge techniques to visualize the elusive proteins in real time. By tagging the Nodal and Lefty proteins with fluorescent markers, the researchers can track their movement and interaction within the extracellular space, offering unprecedented insights into these critical developmental patterns.
“The ability to observe and analyze these processes in real time opens new avenues for studying human development,” Warmflash said.
In addition to real-time observation, the research team will combine its findings with advanced data analysis and mathematical modeling to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the processes that preside over the development of the human body.
This research builds on experiments conducted in 2021 by Warmflash’s lab, where his team, led by postdoctoral researcher Lizhong Liu, visualized the movement of Nodal proteins in real time. Their work also revealed how Lefty regulates the spread of Nodal signaling, which is crucial for differentiating embryonic stem cells into various tissues and organs.