Last Updated on May 10, 2026 by Jaspreet Kaur
For a time scientists who study what is going on inside cells had a big problem. They had to break open the cell to see what was happening with the genes
This is called looking at the transcriptome. It helps scientists understand which genes are working inside a cell at a time. This is important for studying disease stem cells, how cells respond to drugs and how cells grow.
The old way of doing this meant that the cell got destroyed. So scientists could not look at the cell again. This made it impossible to see how a living cell changes over time.
Now some researchers from the Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Munich have found a way to do this. Their new system lets scientists look at the genes in living cells without hurting them.
The scientists published their findings in Nature Communications.
How It Works
The new method is called NTVE. It is short for destructive Transcriptomics via Vesicular Export.
In breaking open cells scientists use special particles that are like viruses. These particles safely carry messenger RNA out of the cell. Messenger RNA is like a message from the genes. It shows which genes are working now.
These particles are like delivery trucks. They pick up the messages from inside the cell. Take them to a safe place outside the cell. Then scientists can look at the RNA without hurting the cell.
This way scientists can see what is going on with the genes in the cell. The cell can still live and work normally.
The researchers say that this new way is just as good as the way. Now scientists can look at the same cell many times.
Tracking Cells
One of the things about the NTVE system is that scientists can watch cells all the time. The researchers showed that they could watch stem cells turn into kinds of cells like heart cells.
They could also watch the stages of how cells grow and become different tissues and organs because the cells do not get hurt. Scientists can watch what happens to the genes step by step. They do not have to look at a snapshot of what happened.
The method also works with neurons and with different kinds of cells. This means scientists can study how cells talk to each other.
Understanding how cells talk to each other is very important. Especially in fields like neuroscience, cancer research and regenerative medicine.
Scientists think that this new way of watching living cells could help us understand how diseases happen. How treatments affect cells in real time.
Medical Promise
Scientists think that this new technology could make medical treatments better. Especially treatments that use stem cells. Stem cells are very important because they can turn into different kinds of tissues. Making sure that stem cells grow up correctly is a big challenge.
With NTVE scientists can watch stem cells closely. They can see if the stem cells are healthy and working correctly.
This could help create more effective treatments for diseases.
The method could also help with research on organoids. These are like organs that scientists grow in the lab. They use them to study diseases and test drugs.
In cancer research scientists hope that this technology will help them understand tumors better. How cancer cells talk to each other.
Scientists also think that this method could help them get cells ready to put into tissues. They could watch the cells the whole time.
Looking Ahead
The NTVE system is a step forward in biomedical science. Now scientists can study living cells in a way that they could not before. They can watch cells grow, respond and talk to each other over time.
This could help scientists discover things about stem cells, neuroscience, cancer treatment and drug development.
The researchers think that this technology will be a tool for scientists all around the world.
As scientists get better at using the NTVE system it could help us understand how living cells work, adapt and interact. This could lead to precise and personalized medical treatments, in the future.