Professor Alpha Yap has received the Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology President's Medal. That is some title. It is also the scientists real name. His research is very important. It involves the way the body "glues" flesh together.
Cells in the body must be able to join together to form separate organs. The gluing must be specific. It cannot be general adhesion because everything would join together and not function property. The substance that controls bonding is cadherin.
Diseases such as cancer and even inflammation can stop the gluing action in the body. Lack of cadherin occurs with the onset of cancer. Problems of the intestines like ulcerative colitis and chrohn's disease cause caderin dysfunction which breaks down epithelial barriers.
Loss of cadherin could be causal or the result of disease. It is hoped e-cadherin levels in the body can be controlled. This may affect chronic disease and become treatment for serious ailments that disables thousands of people.
Health by Ty Buchanan
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