When you think of Brad Pitt, what comes to mind? Academy Awards? Fight Club? “Brangelina&

When you think of Brad Pitt, what comes to mind? Academy Awards? Fight Club? “Brangelina”? Two things that might not come to mind, but should: fruit flies and cowlicks.The celebrity has more in common with a fruit fly than you may think (which, granted, is a low bar to clear.) A new study out of Michigan State University, featured in Scientific Reports, shows that both Pitt and flies have “polarized” hair patterns controlled by a cancer protein.“Researchers have discovered that these polarity genes, which do more than create cowlicks, are regulated by a tumor suppressor protein. On the macro scale, their presence can be seen in feather and fish scale patterns. On the cellular level, they are directly regulated by a cancer protein, the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein.”This research has further-reaching implications than simply crowning fruit flies People’s Sexiest Bug Alive. In fact, it could shed light on certain potential cancer treatment research. Sandhya Payankaulam, lead author and MSU research assistant professor, explains that “until now, people neglected the regulation of polarity genes, thinking them to be regulated in a rather humdrum manner similar to ‘housekeeping’ genes that are devoted to basic cellular functions. Our work challenges this view and raises an important question relevant to development of new cancer diagnosis and therapies.”Read more at The Science Daily here! -- source link

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