Rethinking the 'central dogma' in bioengineering: A paradigm shift?
A study conducted by UCLA researchers challenges the "central dogma" of biology, which states that higher gene expression leads to increased protein secretion. The study focused on mesenchymal stem cells and found that gene expression for a protein growth factor called VEGF-A only weakly correlated with its actual secretion. However, the researchers identified other genes, including one that codes for a cell-surface protein called IL13RA2, that showed a strong correlation with VEGF-A secretion. This discovery could lead to more efficient manufacturing of antibody-based treatments and the development of more effective cellular therapies.