Discoveries
Chromosome alignment may hold new clues to colon cancer
This sequence of images shows a cell correcting the position of its mitotic spindle — the portion of its "skeleton" that holds chromosomes in place — so it can divide properly. David Pellman, M.D., and his colleagues are studying the mechanism by which cells orient their chromosomes prior to division.
Like a sailor who doesn't leave port until every piece of equipment is properly stowed, cells ordinarily do not divide until all their internal components are in the proper position. That is particularly true of the chromosomes, which carry cells' genetic instructions.
Research led by David Pellman, M.D., of Dana-Farber's Department of Pediatric Oncology, is shedding new light on how cells align their chromosomes in preparation for division. The research is uncovering new details about the process of normal cell division, and how that process is disrupted in cancer and other diseases.
David Pellman, M.D.
In studies of yeast cells — which behave in many ways like human cells — Pellman and his colleagues have identified a protein that helps align chromosomes prior to cell division. The research may advance knowledge of the development of colon cancer. It's known that virtually all colon cancer cells have a defect in a protein that may function similarly to the protein being studied by Pellman in yeast.
Investigators also believe their research may increase scientific understanding of why colon cancer cells are able to break away from surrounding cells and migrate to different parts of the body. "Understanding these processes in detail will help us make a more directed and intelligent attack on cancer," Pellman says.
