The telocyte, Romania's big medical discovery, draws investments in US and China
The “Victor Babes” Institute specialists discovered last year the cells by chance, while they were doing studies on cells in the intestine. The telocytes are some cells with small body, but with extremely long extensions, like the extensions of neurons, present in almost all body organs. The role of the telocytes is to remotely coordinate through their extremely long and thin extensions, other cell types, establishing contact and communication.
This is considered to be the biggest discovery of Romanian medicine, after the Second World War. However, the Romanian state didn't get involve into financially supporting this research.
You can read more about the telocytes on the official website here.
Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com
(photo source: Telocytes.com)