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IMAGE: Dr. Katharina Fitzian, Prof. Dr. Daniel Kümmel, Dr. Andrea Oeckinghaus and Anne Brückner (from left) in their laboratories. The collage in the middle illustrates the structure of the TSC1 membrane. view more
Credit: Kümmel team/Oeckinghaus team
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) affects between one and two of every 10,000 new-born babies. This genetic disease leads to the formation of benign tumours which can massively impair the proper functioning of vital organs such as the kidneys, the liver and the brain. The disease affects different patients to varying degrees and is triggered by mutations in one of two genes, the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by biochemists Prof. Daniel Kümmel and Dr. Andrea Oeckinghaus from the University of Münster (Germany) examined the tumour suppressor protein TSC1 and, for the first time, gained insights into its hitherto unclear functions. The team identified a new mechanism, in a cent