How cells sort and ship proteins from the Golgi shipping center
Mechanism of secretory cargo sorting at the trans-Golgi Network (TGN)
This work looks at how human cells package and send proteins so we can better understand conditions like cancer and tissue disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321655 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about research that focuses on the trans-Golgi Network, the cell's sorting and shipping center that directs proteins either to be stored or sent out to the body. The team studies how proteins are recognized and loaded into different transport carriers, testing whether molecules clump together by liquid–liquid phase separation to help this sorting. They use cell-based experiments, imaging, biochemistry, and molecular tools to find the signals or receptors that determine a protein's destination. Results could clarify why secretion goes wrong in disease and point to new ways to detect or influence those pathways.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with cancers or other conditions linked to abnormal protein secretion, or people willing to donate tissue or blood samples for laboratory studies, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment or those with conditions unrelated to protein secretion are unlikely to receive direct short-term benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal molecular rules of protein secretion that lead to new targets for diagnostics or therapies in cancer and other secretion-related disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Applying liquid–liquid phase separation to explain cellular organization is a recent and promising approach with supportive lab findings, but pinpointing specific cargo receptors for secretory sorting remains largely novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Von Blume, Julia — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Von Blume, Julia
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.