Science

Revolutionary Temperature-Sensitive Protein Could Transform Cell Therapies!

2025-01-29

Author: Rajesh

Imagine finding yourself in a bustling stadium, perhaps during the Super Bowl, with a cacophony of cheers, the aroma of hot dogs, and a sea of colorful jerseys swirling around you. It’s an exhilarating experience, yet if you lose sight of your friends, navigating through the chaos can feel impossible. Now, what if you had an ingenious app that could guide them directly to you, navigating the whirlwind of activity? In the realm of science, this fantasy is becoming a reality through the groundbreaking work of bioengineer Lukasz Bugaj and his team at the University of Pennsylvania.

Their innovative research, recently published in Nature Methods, demonstrates how engineered cells can be guided remotely in the human body to perform critical tasks, such as targeting cancer or repairing damaged tissues.

“The complexity of living systems is astounding,” Bugaj explains. “When we deploy modified cells to combat cancer or seek out pathogens, it would be revolutionary to communicate with them, ensuring they reach their intended destination at precisely the right moment.”

From Light to Temperature: The Birth of Melt

The ability to manipulate cellular actions using light was a significant breakthrough in biology, an approach known as optogenetics, which has been in practice for nearly two decades. However, this method is limited due to light's inability to penetrate deep into tissue.

To tackle this challenge, Bugaj and his lab redirected their focus to temperature as a means of stimulus. They discovered a protein from the notorious fungus Botrytis cinerea, the same fungus responsible for fruit rot, that initially