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Defining the cellular mechanisms of liver and pancreatic cancer and metabolic disease
This pancreatic tumor cell shows the actin cytoskeleton (red) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (green). It illustrates how internalizing excess growth factor receptors contributes to unchecked growth.
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The cellular basis of fatty liver disease: Hepatocytes accumulate lipid droplets when exposed to alcohol
Hepatocytes cultured from rats fed a control diet (left) have far fewer lipid droplets (red) than hepatocytes cultured from rats fed a diet containing alcohol for six weeks (right). DNA is in blue.
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Pancreatic tumor cells grow and invade during metastasis
The cytoplasm (red) and DNA (blue) of pancreatic cancer cells invading through a porous filter (white) in culture.
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Cellular organelles essential to regulation of hepatocyte fat metabolism
The autophagolysosome (AP-LY), the lipid droplet (LD) and the mitochondria (MITO) are often in close proximity to each other and work synergistically.
Overview
Mayo Clinic's Membrane Trafficking in Disease Laboratory is headed by Mark A. McNiven, Ph.D., Gina Razidlo, Ph.D., and Hong Cao, M.D. The lab's research is focused on membrane and cytoskeletal interactions that drive dynamic processes such as vesicle transport and migration that are essential to the health and disease of the pancreas, lung and liver. Disruptions to these dynamic functions can lead to life-threatening diseases such as cancer, steatosis or hepatitis.
Supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, the lab's research is organized into three distinct but related disease-based focus areas that include:
Affiliations
The Membrane Trafficking in Disease Laboratory is affiliated with other Mayo Clinic research areas.