Scientists have captured new images of a calcium-shuttling molecule that has been linked to aggressive cancers. The three-dimensional structure could help researchers develop novel therapies and diagnostic tools for diseases that are caused by a malfunction in calcium adsorption. Alexander Sobolevsky's lab at Columbia University Medical Center is studying a family of proteins called "Transient receptor potential (TRP)" channels. These proteins line surfaces inside the body, such as the intestine, and form pores that help calcium cross a dense barrier of lipid and protein called the membrane to reach the interior of the cell. Scientists have found that a TRP channel variant, called TRPV6, is present in excess amounts in the tumor cells of some cancer patients. And patients who have higher quantities of TRPV6 seem to have a more aggressive form of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-07-images-calcium-shuttling-molecule-linked-aggressive.html
