Science on Tap with Estefania Sanchez Vasquez

The cells of our body follow a strict rulebook: they copy their DNA and divide in a highly controlled manner. However, both the placenta and cancer cells defy this rulebook. To build the placenta, early stem cells break this rule through a unique process called endoreplication. Instead of dividing, they hit "copy" on their DNA over and over again, transforming into massive "giant cells." While cancer cells often hijack this exact same trick to become giants and resist chemotherapy, placental stem cells do it safely and on purpose. My work in the Shariati lab aims to investigate how the placenta safely builds a giant cell. Learning these mechanisms can help us understand how cancer reactivates endoreplication to survive and spread.