Study of Cell Structure May Help in Fight Against Cancer, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Researchers are studying how components of cell structure function in an effort to find viable ways to use them to fight ailments such as cancer, as well as Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Jianhua Xing, an assistant professor of biology at Virginia Tech, and his colleagues did computational studies to compare the mechanical properties of two alternative models of the assembly of rope-like polymers called microtubules, a component of cell cytoskeletons. Their objectives: to learn how microtubules are regulated, and how they assemble and disassemble. For more information, click here to read the full release.