In liver, a stressed cell can be bad news for its neighbors
E-Mail A key protein in the communication channels between cells can allow a stress response in one liver cell to spread to neighboring liver cells in mice, causing otherwise healthy cells to become dysfunctional, according to new research co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Sheba Medical Center in Israel. The findings could have implications for a range of metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The study is the first to demonstrate that the protein, Cx43, plays a role in the spread of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) st...