reticulum

It's a core function, but little studied in the setting of cancer immunology, especially when compared to other organelles like the mitochondria or endoplasmic reticulum.

By studying late-onset cases, Igdoura and his team uncovered that these diseases begin in the spinal cord, where chronic stress on a cellular component called the endoplasmic reticulum triggers programmed cell death.

"However, our research highlights a novel function of the HLA molecule within skin cells. We revealed that a specific HLA genotype in keratinocytes can recognize certain drugs as foreign, triggering an endoplasmic reticulum stress response."

ZIP7 is also the only zinc transporter found in the endoplasmic reticulum, a membranous structure where a cell makes proteins destined for the outer membrane of the cell or for secretion out of the cell.

The two proteins "sit" at the endoplasmic reticulum exit site, a place in the cell where materials like proteins are packaged and transported out the cell.