Scientists Publish Version of a Map of Human Body Cells
2024-12-02
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1Researchers have created an early version of a map of some of the human body's cells.
2The human body has an estimated 37.2 trillion cells.
3Each type of cell has a unique job.
4Knowing each cell's job can help scientists better understand health and diseases such as cancer.
5The work is part of the Human Cell Atlas project.
6The effort began in 2016.
7It involves researchers around the world.
8The group, called a consortium, plans to release a more complete atlas in 2026 by mapping cells from 18 organs and body systems.
9These include the skin, heart, and breasts.
10Some of the researchers published their findings on bone development in embryos.
11The study appeared in Nature on November 20.
12Aviv Regev is a founding co-chair of the project.
13Regev is currently executive vice president and head of research and early development at U.S. biotech company Genentech.
14She said the work is important in two ways.
15First, the project relates to curiosity.
16Humans have long wanted to know what they are made of.
17"And, in fact, biologists have been mapping cells since the 1600s for that reason," Regev added.
18Second, Regev said knowing how cells work is critical for understanding how to treat disease.
19"Cells are the basic unit of life, and when things go wrong, they go wrong with our cells, first and foremost," she added.
20"Fundamentally, these studies tell us how tissues, organs and humans are built," said Muzlifah Haniffa of Wellcome Sanger Institute and Newcastle University in Britain.
21Haniffa was a member of the project's organizing committee.
22Scientists are focusing on certain organs.
23They are mapping the jobs of cells in the mouth, stomach and intestines.
24They are researching cells that guide how bones and joints develop.
25They also are exploring which cells group into tissue, where they are found in the body and how they change over time.
26The high-resolution, open-access atlas is considered a first version.
27The scientists say they hope it will help researchers fight diseases that damage human cells.
28The current cell map not only shows many types of human cells.
29It also shows the relationships between cells, said Dr. Timothy Chan.
30Chan is a cancer expert at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the project.
31Chan said the atlas project is a "deep dive into human biology" that is sure to help identify and treat cancer cells.
32Scientists are also creating other atlases that could show more about the foundations of health and disease in specific parts of the body.
33For example, researchers working on a brain atlas are seeking to understand the structure, location and function of the many types of brain cells.
34A new gut microbiome atlas is meant to show the collection of microorganisms in the intestines.
35Those organs play important parts in digestion and immune system health.
36I'm Anna Matteo.
1Researchers have created an early version of a map of some of the human body's cells. 2The human body has an estimated 37.2 trillion cells. Each type of cell has a unique job. Knowing each cell's job can help scientists better understand health and diseases such as cancer. 3The work is part of the Human Cell Atlas project. The effort began in 2016. It involves researchers around the world. The group, called a consortium, plans to release a more complete atlas in 2026 by mapping cells from 18 organs and body systems. These include the skin, heart, and breasts. 4Some of the researchers published their findings on bone development in embryos. The study appeared in Nature on November 20. 5Aviv Regev is a founding co-chair of the project. Regev is currently executive vice president and head of research and early development at U.S. biotech company Genentech. She said the work is important in two ways. 6First, the project relates to curiosity. Humans have long wanted to know what they are made of. "And, in fact, biologists have been mapping cells since the 1600s for that reason," Regev added. 7Second, Regev said knowing how cells work is critical for understanding how to treat disease. 8"Cells are the basic unit of life, and when things go wrong, they go wrong with our cells, first and foremost," she added. 9"Fundamentally, these studies tell us how tissues, organs and humans are built," said Muzlifah Haniffa of Wellcome Sanger Institute and Newcastle University in Britain. Haniffa was a member of the project's organizing committee. 10What is the Human Cell Atlas? 11Scientists are focusing on certain organs. They are mapping the jobs of cells in the mouth, stomach and intestines. They are researching cells that guide how bones and joints develop. They also are exploring which cells group into tissue, where they are found in the body and how they change over time. 12The high-resolution, open-access atlas is considered a first version. The scientists say they hope it will help researchers fight diseases that damage human cells. 13The current cell map not only shows many types of human cells. It also shows the relationships between cells, said Dr. Timothy Chan. Chan is a cancer expert at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the project. Chan said the atlas project is a "deep dive into human biology" that is sure to help identify and treat cancer cells. 14Scientists are also creating other atlases that could show more about the foundations of health and disease in specific parts of the body. 15For example, researchers working on a brain atlas are seeking to understand the structure, location and function of the many types of brain cells. A new gut microbiome atlas is meant to show the collection of microorganisms in the intestines. Those organs play important parts in digestion and immune system health. 16I'm Anna Matteo. 17Adithi Ramakrishnan and Laura Ungar reported this story for The Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional information from Reuters and other sources. 18______________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20type -n. a particular kind of thing that is like others in the same group 21unique -adj. something that is unlike anything else 22atlas -n. a detailed map of a place or a thing that include picture or images 23curiosity -n. the condition of being interested in something and wanting to learn more about it 24biologist -n. a scientist who studies the processes of life and the living structures involved in it 25focus -v. to place special attention on something or someone 26high-resolution -adj. usually related to a kind of image that is very rich or high in detail showing very small or complex things clearly 27open-access -adj. available to anyone and not requiring payment 28deep dive -n. a complete investigation into something 29location -n. the place where something is 30We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on this topic? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. Our comment policy is here.