Tools developed by chemists at NCI Frederick have at last made it possible to see how some of the most common molecules affect cells’ behavior in cancer and disease. Studying these molecules, glycans, because they can’t directly be sequenced, has been challenging. New research from NCI Frederick’s Chemical Biology Laboratory (CBL) may make it easier.

A study originating in NCI Frederick’s RNA Biology Laboratory has clarified why cells pack up and discard a certain type of RNA. Put simply, it’s a trash removal system meant to keep cells stable—and it’s relevant to cancer growth. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, came by examining the RNAs within extracellular vesicles.