Shaping lumens by force

(National University of Singapore) Scientists from Singapore and France have revealed the underlying mechanism for the formation and growth of a fundamental type of tissue -- epithelial tubes. Defects in the architecture of epithelial tubes lead to diseases such as cholestasis, atherosclerosis and polycystic kidney disease. The study suggests that the shape and size of some types of epithelial tubes are governed by the mechanical forces that arise from the interaction of cells with the supportiv...