The human body is an intricate machine, constantly replacing billions of cells every day while maintaining perfect tissue organization. Researchers at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute and the University of Delaware have cracked the “tissue code” – a set of five basic rules that explain how tissues like those in the colon stay organized even as their cells are constantly dying and being replaced.

After 15 years of collaboration between mathematicians and cancer biologists, the team identified these five core biological rules that govern cell behavior and tissue structure:

1. Cell migration: Cells move towards areas with specific signals.
2. Cell division: Cells divide in a controlled manner to maintain tissue density.
3. Apoptosis regulation: Cells self-destruct in a programmed way to prevent overgrowth.
4. Adhesion and detachment: Cells adhere to their neighbors and detach at the right time to maintain tissue integrity.
5. Signaling pathways: Cells communicate with each other through specific signaling pathways.

These rules work together like choreography, controlling where cells go, when they divide, and how long they stick around – keeping tissues looking and working as they should. The researchers believe these rules may apply not just to the colon but to many different tissues throughout the body, including skin, liver, brain, and beyond.

This discovery has significant implications for understanding tissue healing after injury, birth defects, and diseases like cancer that develop when this code gets disrupted. By identifying simple, universal rules that govern cell behavior and tissue structure, the findings could help guide future efforts to not only describe cells but predict how they behave in health and disease.

The team’s work also reflects a broader shift in how scientists approach complex problems – collaboration between biology and math. This kind of research aligns with national priorities, such as the National Science Foundation’s “Rules of Life” initiative, which challenges researchers to uncover fundamental principles that govern living systems.

Next steps for the team include testing the model’s predictions experimentally, refining it with additional data, and exploring its relevance to cancer biology – especially how disruptions to the tissue code may lead to tumor growth or metastasis. This is just the beginning of a promising new area of research that could lead to better understanding and treatment of diseases, as well as improved human health and longevity.

The University of Florida’s Pepper, the pet cat who made headlines last year for discovering the first jeilongvirus found in the U.S., has done it again. This time, his keen senses have led researchers to a new strain of orthoreovirus, which is known to infect humans, white-tailed deer, bats, and other mammals.

John Lednicky, Ph.D., Pepper’s owner and a University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions virologist, was testing a specimen from an Everglades short-tailed shrew when he stumbled upon the new virus. The discovery came as part of his ongoing work to understand transmission of the mule deerpox virus.

Lednicky’s team published the complete genomic coding sequences for the virus they named “Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1” in the journal Microbiology Resource Announcements. The researchers note that while there have been rare reports of orthoreoviruses being associated with cases of encephalitis, meningitis, and gastroenteritis in children, more research is needed to understand their effects on humans.

“We need to pay attention to orthoreoviruses and know how to rapidly detect them,” Lednicky said. “There are many different mammalian orthoreoviruses, and not enough is known about this recently identified virus to be concerned.”

Pepper’s contributions to scientific discovery continue unabated. His specimen collection has led researchers to the identification of two other novel viruses found in farmed white-tailed deer, highlighting the importance of continued research into the ever-evolving world of viruses.

The discovery of new viruses is not surprising, given their propensity to constantly evolve and the sophisticated lab techniques used by researchers like Lednicky. “If you look, you’ll find,” he said. “And that’s why we keep finding all these new viruses.”

Lednicky and his team plan to conduct further research into the new virus, including serology and immunology studies to understand its potential threat to humans, wildlife, and pets.

Meanwhile, Pepper remains healthy and continues to contribute to scientific discovery through his outdoor adventures. As Lednicky said, “If you come across a dead animal, why not test it instead of just burying it? There is a lot of information that can be gained.”

The world of cats is fascinating, especially when it comes to their sleeping habits. Researchers from Italy, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, and Turkey have made an intriguing discovery – cats prefer to sleep on their left side. This bias towards one side might seem trivial at first, but the team behind this study believes it holds a significant evolutionary advantage.

Cats are notorious for spending around 12 to 16 hours a day snoozing. They often find elevated places to rest, making it difficult for predators to access them from below. The research team, led by Dr. Sevim Isparta and Professor Onur Güntürkün, aimed to understand the behavior behind this preference. They analyzed over 400 YouTube videos featuring cats sleeping on one side or the other.

The results showed that two-thirds of these videos had cats sleeping on their left side. So, what’s the explanation? According to the researchers, when a cat sleeps on its left side and wakes up, it perceives its surroundings with its left visual field. This visual information is processed in the right hemisphere of the brain, which specializes in spatial awareness and threat processing.

This might seem like an insignificant detail, but for cats, it’s a crucial aspect of survival. By sleeping on their left side, they can quickly respond to potential threats or prey upon waking up. The researchers conclude that this preference could be a key survival strategy for cats.

The study published in the journal Current Biology provides valuable insights into the fascinating world of cat behavior and evolution. As we continue to learn more about our feline friends, we might just uncover even more surprising advantages behind their seemingly ordinary habits.