These days, A Shaji is only able to speak to her husband for a few minutes at a time. Each time he calls, she asks him to try and call her again the following day. But even as she does, she knows that it will be at least two days before she hears from him.These days
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has issued a stern warning to eighteen major American companies. The IRGC alleges these firms aided US-Israeli terror operations within Iran. Retaliatory strikes are planned for regional offices, with devastating consequences anticipated
In a sport often seen as an escape, Iran made a powerful statement — reminding everyone that sometimes the world follows you onto the pitch. Iranian players paid a sobering tribute that set the tone for the night before their 5-0 win in a friendly match against Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday
The Central Board of Secondary Education has issued a notice regarding the second CBSE Class 10 Board Examination 2026, highlighting important details about the submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) through its official website, cbse.gov.in. As per the notice
Jet fuel prices have reached an all-time high, soaring to over Rs 2 lakh per kilolitre. This significant increase is attributed to rising global oil prices. The surge is directly linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. This marks the first time aviation turbine fuel has crossed the Rs 2 lakh
New study finds how calcium and pH regulate ovarian cancer spheroids
New study finds how calcium and pH regulate ovarian cancer spheroids
The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), in a collaborative study, have found that two simple environmental factors — calcium and pH — dictate whether the cancer spheroids hold together, fall apart, or even rebuild themselves from scratch.
When ovarian cancer spreads, it often does so via floating clusters of cells – called spheroids – that drift through the abdominal cavity.
“These spheroids are quite sophisticated — some look like solid, misshapen masses (moruloids), while others resemble smooth, mulberry-like hollow structures (blastuloids). Why and how these structures emerge, and whether they affect how the cancer progresses has been under speculation for years,” NCBS said.
Dr. Tapomoy Bhattacharjee's lab at the NCBS in collaboration with Dr. Ramray Bhat's lab at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), conducted this interdisciplinary work published in the scientific journal Small.
Led by Sreepadmanabh M., a graduate student at the Bhattacharjee lab, the team first investigated hollow blastuloids, which periodically undergo dramatic volume fluctuations.
“Every few hours, their central cavity pulses, collapses dramatically, and then steadily recovers — somewhat like a slowed-down heartbeat. Remarkably, despite these catastrophic fluctuations, the overall blastuloid, comprising hundreds of tightly organised cells, eventually recovers its overall shape. The secret to this recovery lies in the E-cadherin junctions, the biological mortar that binds cells together, whose stability depends on calcium,” NCBS said.
By tweaking calcium levels, the researchers found they could flip the spheroids between completely different states.
A sudden removal of calcium caused blastuloids to collapse into solid, moruloid-like masses within minutes. But when calcium was restored, the hollow structure reappeared far quicker than it had formed in the first place. Even when spheroids were completely disassembled into single cells, they rapidly reassembled into complex hollow forms in just two days — a feat that normally takes more than a week. “Simply put, once the cells have formed a blastuloid, the next time around they remember how to rebuild it much faster,” said Sreepadmanabh.
Going beyond this, the team found that another commonplace entity — pH, a measure of how acidic or alkaline the environment becomes — proves equally influential. This has a direct clinical connection because cancer spheroids are often found in acidic ascitic fluid inside the abdomen. The researchers found that when exposed to acidic pH (~6), blastuloids paused their pulsations, leaving their hollow cavity intact.
“Contrastingly, alkaline conditions (pH ~8.5) collapsed them into solid masses– which again was completely reversible upon restoring pH to normal levels,” NCBS said.
Published - September 17, 2025 07:05 pm IST
Bangalore / cancer / research
Source: The Hindu
Related Posts: Vikram Goyal Studio joins Viya for their first collaborative showcase at Amethyst Chennai No Conflict Between Sciences And Dharma Park Medi World To Acquire KP Institute Of Medical Sciences For Rs 245 Cr US doctor shares 3 biological reasons that can heighten cold sensitivity A child is a child - biological or adopted Uncoded by Premas Life Sciences launches R&D facility to strengthen India’s multi-omics Harvard scientist accused of smuggling ‘biological materials’ to US National Anthem to precede National Song at govt events Centre fails to give clarity on delay in National Urban Digital Mission roll-out Supreme Court asks Centre to frame national policy
Here’s a detailed look at what changes from the new fiscal: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made two-factor authentication (2FA) mandatory across UPI and card-based transactions from today, April 1, to strengthen fraud prevention systems. The RBI, through its notification dated September 25
1 hours ago
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Assam manifesto outlines key promises. These include implementing a Uniform Civil Code and strengthening anti-infiltration laws. The party also pledges to create two lakh government jobs and support ten lakh entrepreneurs
1 hours ago
Asian stock markets jumped on Wednesday morning after President Donald Trump said the US will leave Iran in "two to three weeks" regardless of whether a deal has been struck with Tehran. Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained almost 4% in early trading, while the Kospi in South Korea rose by more than 6%
1 hours ago
Kristi Noem knew about Bryon's crossdressing: Laura Loomer makes shock claim about ex-DHS chief and Corey LewandowskiBryon Noem, Kristi Noem's husband, is secretly a cross-dresser, as per a report, which has left the former DHS chief ‘devastated’. Published on: Apr 01
1 hours ago
Opposition to Roberto de Zerbi being named Tottenham head coach is growing among official fan groups because of his controversial support of Mason Greenwood. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust held an emergency board meeting on Monday night and has now contacted the club to say it cannot
1 hours ago
TMC-backed BLO groups protested alleged bulk Form 6 submissions to add voters from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as Abhishek Banerjee asked workers to monitor filings outside the Bengal CEO's office. Kolkata: A major scuffle broke out outside the Election Commission's office in Kolkata as BJP and
1 hours ago
Taylor Swift has surprised fans by releasing a new music video for her song Elizabeth Taylor, assembled from hours of footage of the late screen goddess. Swift does not appear in the video, instead compiling a "supercut" of scenes from Elizabeth Taylor's films
1 hours ago
Thinking of a Career in Product Design? Know What it Entails Published on: Apr 01, 2026 7:50 AM IST By HT Education Desk Prefer HTon Google Quick Read Share via Copy link It is that time of the year. Children who have finished school tend to go from pillar to post
1 hours ago
LPG Price Hike: Commercial LPG prices were hiked by Rs 195.50 on Wednesday (April 1) amid ongoing tensions in West Asia, pushing up costs for businesses such as hotels, restaurants and small enterprises. A 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 2,078.50 in Delhi
1 hours ago
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to illegally include voters from outside the state in its electoral rolls. Banerjee alleged that the BJP was doing so by getting thousands of
1 hours ago
Tennis player Leander Paes joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday at the party headquarters in New Delhi, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. After his induction, the BJP’s West Bengal unit said on social media: “From global courts to national commitment
1 hours ago
Sugar-free products with sugar. ‘Real’ juices with artificial ingredients. Misleading food ads are fuelling a public health crisis in India. Help Scroll expose the systemic failure. Support our investigation.Sugar-free products with sugar. ‘Real’ juices with artificial ingredients
1 hours ago
Commercial LPG gets costlier, price hiked by ₹195.5 amid global oil concernsThe price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder will now be ₹2,078.50 in Delhi, news agencies reported, citing state oil companies. Updated on: Apr 01, 2026 7:50 AM IST By HT News Desk Share via Copy link The price of
1 hours ago
Tiger Woods says he is "stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health" following an arrest after a car crash. The 50-year-old was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after clipping a truck and rolling his car in Florida on Friday
1 hours ago
Vicky Kaushal all praise for Dhurandhar 2, pens special message for Ranveer Singh: ‘You inspire me brother’Vicky Kaushal took to Instagram to share his reaction after watching Dhurandhar 2, the Aditya Dhar directorial starring Ranveer Singh. Apr 1, 2026
1 hours ago
This article was originally published in Rest of World, which covers technology’s impact outside the West. Wars have always targeted the infrastructure of their age. Medieval armies burned granaries. Modern ones target communications and energy installations
1 hours ago
A billion dollar shopping list to buy small, buy smartOver the years, Apple’s intent to acquire small teams for talent has paid off, more often than not. Updated on: Apr 01, 2026 6:33 AM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link In March, Apple acquired Warsaw-based MotionVFX
1 hours ago
Prevention of Blindness Week is observed annually from April 1–7, 2026, to raise awareness about eye health and preventable vision loss. The theme for 2026 is “Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World," which highlights the global effort to combat glaucoma- the leading cause of irreversible blindness
1 hours ago
Dish TV has petitioned the Kerala High Court, urging the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to regulate Prasar Bharati's DD Free Dish under the same framework as private DTH operators. The company seeks mandatory encryption and Digital Addressable System requirements for DD Free Dish
1 hours ago
Bengaluru techie quits Google after 2 years to explore life beyond 'rat race': 'This bot is taking a detour'A Bengaluru techie quit Google after 2 years to pursue a 1-year experiment exploring life beyond corporate work. Updated on: Mar 31, 2026 11:10 PM IST By Bhavya Sukheja Share via Copy link A
1 hours ago
No Robert Lewandowski at World Cup 2026 as Viktor Gyokeres fires Sweden past Poland with dramatic winner Updated on: Apr 01, 2026 6:25 AM IST AFP Share via Copy link Robert Lewandowski reacts after Poland failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup
1 hours ago
The International Olympic Committee has introduced a new gender testing policy for female athletes. Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya criticizes the move, calling it a violation of women's rights. Semenya insists there is no scientific basis for the policy
1 hours ago
Tiger Woods has announced he is stepping away from golf to seek treatment following his recent DUI arrest. His attorney entered a not guilty plea to charges of misdemeanor driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a urinalysis. Woods cited prioritizing his well-being and working towards
1 hours ago
On Wednesday three men and one woman are set to embark on the first crewed journey to the Moon since 1972, a landmark odyssey that aims to launch the US into a new era of space exploration. This contemporary era of American lunar investment has frequently been portrayed as an effort in competition
1 hours ago
Indian football finally has a fairytale of its own — with Ryan Williams delivering one within minutes of pulling on the blue shirt. Making his debut for India in a 2-1 win against Hong Kong in their final AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers clash, the Australian-born winger didn’t take long to
1 hours ago
The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a cleric from Bihar for allegedly making objectionable remarks about the mother of Chief Minister Adityanath, The Times of India reported on Tuesday. Two cases were registered against the cleric, Maulana Abdullah Salim, in Uttar Pradesh
1 hours ago
Oracle mass layoffs: All about the severance package offered to the laid-off US employeesMany laid off by Oracle in an early morning email claimed in social media posts that they were blindsided by the news. Published on: Apr 01, 2026 6:56 AM IST By HT Trending Desk Share via Copy link Oracle has
1 hours ago
