Regeneration

Researchers in Martin Hetzer’s lab found a previously unknown role for a protein called nup98. In addition to helping control how certain molecules move in and out of a cell’s nucleus, nup98 helps direct the development of blood cells, enabling immature blood stem cells to differentiate into mature cell types. The team described their discovery in the December 21, 2017, issue of Genes & Development. Hetzer, first author Tobias Franks and collaborators found that when perturbed, this differentiation process can contribute to certain leukemias, making nup98 a potential target for new cancer therapies.