The cells of our body constantly inform each other of their state of health through an extracellular code, according to a team of researchers from the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). The malfunction of this communication code, nicknamed Flower , could cause cancer, metastasis, or early degeneration of tissues and premature aging .
The exchange of information on the state of cellular health has one purpose: that the strongest and healthiest prevail . " Flower is a protein located in the cell membrane that exists in three different forms (isoforms). Each of these isoforms acts as a label , marking the health status of the cells", explains Eduardo Moreno, co-author of the work. In this way, cells identify themselves and their neighbors as strong or weak . "The weak ones are eliminated and replaced by healthy cells ?, explains the researcher Jesús María López-Gay.
Although the research has been carried out with cells of the Drosophila fly, studies in mice and humans have already begun with initially promising results. In fact, scientists say that it will have important biomedical implications, since poor communication through the Flower code could favor certain diseases.
