When Cells Touch, Gene Expression Changes

The cells of an organism, including humans, interact closely with one another; cells have myriad ways to send and receive signals from each other and their environment that can influence how they function. One method of communication is direct contact. Scientists have now used a cutting-edge approach to learn more about how cell-to-cell contact can affect gene expression. This type of cellular communication is particularly crucial during development. It is also related to cancer. The findings have been reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy…