Tiny cell “antennas” may help explain why some babies are born with heart defects
Researchers have identified a cellular communication system involving 'antennas' called primary cilia that guide heart development in embryos. Defects in this signaling hub, involving proteins TAK1, TAB2, and PKA-C, may explain the origins of some congenital heart diseases.
Why it matters
Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind heart defects could lead to better diagnostic tools and potential preventative strategies for congenital conditions.
Congenital heart disease affects roughly two out of every 100 newborns worldwide, making it one of the most common types of birth defects. Yet scientists are still working to understand exactly why these heart abnormalities develop.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a previously unknown cellular mechanism that may provide an important part of the explanation.
"We have discovered a new communication system on the exterior of the cell that is crucial for the proper formation of the heart during embryonic development. This finding changes our understanding of why some congenital heart defects arise. You could say that we have identified an important cog in a highly complex machine," says Lars Allan Larsen, an expert in congenital heart disease and Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.
A Tiny Cellular Antenna Helps Guide Heart Development
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