Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics
06:00

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics

Published on: May 14, 2016

11.6K

Asymmetric division: An antitumor player?

Lihua Wang1, Pengcheng Bu2, Xiling Shen3

  • 1Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY, USA.

Molecular & Cellular Oncology
|September 22, 2016
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNA 34a (miR-34a) controls stem cell division during tissue repair. Loss of miR-34a promotes excessive stem cell proliferation, contributing to colon cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Cancer research

Background:

  • Stem cell division is crucial for tissue regeneration and development.
  • Dysregulation of stem cell proliferation is implicated in cancer, including colon cancer.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression and cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of miR-34a in regulating stem cell division during intestinal and colon tissue regeneration.
  • To explore the mechanism by which miR-34a controls stem cell fate.
  • To determine the involvement of miR-34a in colon cancer stem cells.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of miR-34a function in stem cell division models.
  • Investigating the molecular interactions between miR-34a, Numb, and Notch signaling pathways.
  • Studying the role of miR-34a in the context of colon cancer stem cells.

Main Results:

  • miR-34a mediates asymmetric stem cell division, preventing excessive proliferation.
  • Loss of miR-34a leads to a switch from asymmetric to symmetric division, increasing stem cell numbers.
  • Asymmetric cell division is also observed in early-stage colon cancer stem cells.
  • miR-34a, Numb, and Notch form a feed-forward loop regulating stem cell fate determination.

Conclusions:

  • miR-34a is a critical regulator of stem cell homeostasis in the intestine and colon.
  • The miR-34a/Numb/Notch pathway is essential for maintaining proper stem cell division and preventing uncontrolled proliferation.
  • Dysregulation of this pathway may contribute to the development of colon cancer.

More Related Videos

Establishing Cell Lines Overexpressing DR3 to Assess the Apoptotic Response to Anti-mitotic Therapeutics12:28

Establishing Cell Lines Overexpressing DR3 to Assess the Apoptotic Response to Anti-mitotic Therapeutics

Published on: January 11, 2019

7.8K
Utilizing Functional Genomics Screening to Identify Potentially Novel Drug Targets in Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures07:48

Utilizing Functional Genomics Screening to Identify Potentially Novel Drug Targets in Cancer Cell Spheroid Cultures

Published on: December 26, 2016

11.9K

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
9.1K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
5.4K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
8.3K
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes01:05

Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
10.0K
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
55.4K
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
6.3K