Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur have made significant progress in understanding how cells divide and maintain balance, a discovery that could lead to new approaches in treating cancer and rare genetic disorders.
Led by Dr Priyanka Singh, Associate Professor at the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, the research team has been studying the structure and behaviour of centrosomes, small cellular structures that function as the cell’s command centre, directing division and growth. When this process goes wrong, it can trigger conditions such as cancer and microcephaly.
Dr Singh said the aim of the study is to map the precise mechanisms that keep cell division under control. “Our goal is to learn the cell’s exact wiring diagram, knowledge that can help us stop cancer while keeping healthy cells untouched,” she explained.
The team’s findings reveal that a protein called PLK4 acts as a molecular switch that helps the cell duplicate and separate chromosomes correctly. They also discovered a previously unknown interaction between STIL, a centrosome protein, and BRCA1, a tumour suppressor known for its role in breast cancer. The partnership suggests that the cell’s internal machinery plays a direct role in preventing uncontrolled growth.
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Beyond cancer research, Dr Singh’s group has studied how mutations in centrosome proteins can cause developmental disorders. In cases of primary microcephaly, a rare neurological condition, they found that two mutations in the CPAP protein can lead to opposite effects, one producing oversized centrosomes and the other creating too many of them.
The researchers have also identified how certain cancers evade normal cellular controls by clustering excess centrosomes to divide normally, a mechanism that could be disrupted with new targeted drugs. “We’ve identified mutations that help cancer cells do this,” said Dr Singh. “The exciting part is that we can now disrupt these clusters with specific compounds, opening up possibilities for new anticancer treatments.”
The team is also building a network of clinicians and researchers to improve early diagnosis of rare centrosome-related diseases in India. Working with Dr Sandip Murarka’s chemistry group, they are developing new chemical compounds that can interfere with microtubules, structures crucial for cell division. Early tests have shown that some of these compounds can slow cancer cell growth at very low doses, making them potential candidates for future therapies.
Dr Singh’s lab is also exploring the repurposing of existing drugs to target centrosomes more precisely, potentially creating cost-effective and less toxic cancer treatments.
The work at IIT Jodhpur links fundamental biology with medical innovation, highlighting how basic scientific research can translate into practical benefits. “Centrosomes are the cell’s command centres,” Dr Singh said. “If we can understand how they make decisions, we can rewrite the rules of disease, from cancer to developmental disorders.”
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