Nanomachinery of the Cytoskeleton (RMI)

细胞骨架在细胞功能的大多数方面都起着重要作用，如果加以控制和修改，就可以对癌症、阿尔茨海默氏症、肌营养不良症、病毒感染和其他破坏性疾病进行早期发现和可行的治疗。纳米尺度的结构是细胞骨架功能的关键，细胞骨架由一组直径在10 nm左右的一维物体组成，包括肌动蛋白、中间丝和微管。细胞分裂、细胞运动、膜运输、细胞内货物运输、细胞间相互作用、信号转导以及细胞形态的建立和维持等功能都与细胞骨架过程有关。了解参与组织和移动细胞质的细胞纳米机械可以提供对细胞增殖、形态发生、组织组织、伤口愈合、免疫反应和干细胞的基本见解。 神经系统的分化、发育和可塑性以及有机体对感染性微生物的反应。工程原理和这些天然‘装置’的特性将推动用于细胞骨架生物学的新的纳米尺度工具的发展。同样，阐明生物现象的纳米级方面将产生治疗或预防疾病的新策略。这些战略可能依赖于纳米技术工具或合成的、生物兼容的纳米结构，而不是目前使用的小分子药物和蛋白质。我们建议建立一个纳米药物开发中心，以1.研究细胞骨架结构的组装和动力学，2.揭示这些结构在细胞内运输、细胞分裂和细胞运动中的功能和调节，3.制定和实施纳米战略 和工具，以克服细胞骨架研究的挑战，以及4.建立原型设备和纳米材料，以实施这些新的见解，用于诊断和治疗目的。新的中心将设在西北大学的高级医学生物工程和纳米科学跨学科研究所。(IBNAM)

The cytoskeleton is instrumental in most aspects of cell function, which if controlled and modified, could enable early detection and viable treatment for cancer, Alzheimer's, muscular dystrophy, viral infections, and other devastating conditions. Nanoscale structure is key to the function of the cytoskeleton, which is composed of a set of one-dimensional objects with diameters on the order of 10 nm, including actin, intermediate filaments and microtubules. Functions such as cell division, cell motility, membrane trafficking, intracellular transport of cargo, cell-cell interactions, signal transduction and the establishment and maintenance of cell form are all associated with cytoskeletal processes. Understanding the cellular nanomachinery involved in organizing and moving cytoplasm could offer fundamental insights into cell proliferation, morphogenesis, tissue organization, wound healing, the immune response, stem cell differentiation, development and plasticity of the nervous system and the response of an organism to infectious microbes. Engineering principles and the characteristics of these natural 'devices' will drive the development of new nanoscale tools for cytoskeletal biology. Similarly, elucidating nanoscale aspects of biological phenomena will generate fresh strategies to cure or prevent disease. These strategies will likely rely on either nanotechnology tools or synthetic, biocompatible nanostructures rather than the small molecule drugs and proteins currently in use. We propose to establish a Nanomedicine Development Center to 1. study the assembly and dynamics of cytoskeletal structures, 2. unravel function and regulation of these structures in intracellular traffic, cell division and cell motility, 3. develop and implement nanoscale strategies and tools to overcome the challenges of cytoskeletal research, and 4. build prototype devices and nanomaterials to implementing these new insights for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The new Center will be housed at Northwestern's interdisciplinary Institute for Bioengineering and Nanoscience in Advanced Medicine. (IBNAM)