Regulation of cell proliferation is dependent on nucleocytoplasmic trafficking
Monday, August 23, 2010 - 15:56
in Health & Medicine
Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania have discovered that the Opioid Growth Factor (OGF, [Met5]-enkephalin) and its receptor, OGFr, a clinically important system with potent antitumor properties, has controlled entry from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The nucleocytoplasmic passage of OGF-OGFr is critical to cell proliferation and suggests that there are hierarchical levels of nuclear import. This discovery, reported in the September 2010 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, provides new insights into understanding the pathobiology of diseases related to this native biological system, and contributes to the development of new agents that will enhance treatment effectiveness.