The previously undescribed large structures are spherical and so have been termed kugeln (German for sphere) by the Sheffield team, who discovered them in collaboration with scientists from the USA and Germany.

No cell has ever been shown to develop kugeln in the past, possibly because they are easily mistaken for normal blood vessels. Kugeln contain a molecule called nitric oxide which is essential for the health of blood vessels.

Stroke is a life-threatening condition affecting more than 100,000 people in the UK each year. Some forms of stroke are caused by mutations in genes which the Sheffield researchers have shown are required to form kugeln. Although the function of kugeln is not yet fully understood, this link to genetic forms of stroke could provide new insights into neurological and cardiovascular research.

Elisabeth Kugler, a PhD student from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Infection, Infection and Cardiovascular Disease and the main author of the study, said: “The finding of kugeln highlights the need for basic research to understand the mechanisms of development and disease.

Read more at: The University of Sheffield

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