Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments

Phys · Apr 17, 2026 · 656 words · By Weill Cornell Medical College

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What to know about Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have used liposomes and low-temperature electron microscopy to capture high-resolution images of the TMEM16F scramblase protein. This discovery reveals how the protein functions as an ion channel and lipid scrambler, potentially enabling the development of targeted treatments for blood disorders and cancers.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments Stephanie Baum Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane…

Why it matters

The discovery could lead to new therapeutic strategies for blood coagulation disorders, cancers and other conditions in which the protein, called a TMEM16 scramblase, works abnormally.

Common ground

Scramblases operate within cell membranes, where they alter or "scramble" the normal layered arrangement of lipid molecules—an essential step in many biological processes.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Catching a scramblase in the act could pave the way to improved blood disorder and cancer treatments?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The study's co-first authors were Accardi laboratory members Dr. Zhang Feng, a postdoctoral researcher, and Omar Alvarenga, a doctoral candidate in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scramblase-pave-blood-disorder-cancer.html

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Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

verified Verified 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “The study's co-first authors were Accardi laboratory members Dr. Zhang Feng, a postdoctoral researcher, and Omar Alvarenga, a doctoral candidate in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.”

CORROBORATED

The co-first authorship of Dr. Zhang Feng and Omar Alvarenga is explicitly stated in the Weill Cornell newsroom and confirmed by academic listings (Sciety) and professional profiles.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of Mesozoic bird-line archosaur genera is a comprehensive listing of all Mesozoic genera that are included in the clade Avemetatarsalia (alternatively known as Pan-Aves), including dinosaurs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mesozoic_bird-line_arc…

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web search NEUTRAL — Zhang Feng. Omar Alvarenga Omar Alvarenga. Activation of Ca2+-dependent TMEM16 scramblases induces the externalization of phosphatidylserine, a key molecule in multiple signaling processes.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zhang-Feng-53

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web search NEUTRAL — Zhang Feng. Omar E. Alvarenga. Yangang Pan.Firstly, the authors solved the structure of a calcium-bound fungal homolog, afTMEM16, in nanodiscs with a lipid composition where the protein is maximally a…
https://sciety.org/articles/activity/10.1038/s41467-022-3030…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 2: “TMEM16F's rearrangement of cell membrane lipids enables platelet cells to clump together to make blood coagulate”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that TMEM16F is required for lipid scrambling in platelets during blood coagulation, which allows them to clump.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Scott syndrome is a rare congenital bleeding disorder that is due to a defect in a platelet mechanism required for blood coagulation. Normally when a vascular injury occurs (i.e., a cut, scrape or oth…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_syndrome

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anoctamin-1 (ANO1), also known as Transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A), is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the ANO1 gene. Anoctamin-1 is a voltage-gated calcium-activated anion channel, which a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANO1

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anoctamin 6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANO6 gene.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoctamin_6

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “In the study, published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the researchers at last attained this goal by embedding the protein in tiny lipid capsules called liposomes, which allowed them to image its active and inactive structures at near-atomic-scale resolution.”

CORROBORATED

The use of liposomes to image active and inactive structures at near-atomic resolution in a study published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology is confirmed by multiple web search results from Weill Cornell and academic sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — In the study, published April 17 in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, the researchers at last attained this goal by embedding the protein in tiny lipid capsules called liposomes, which allowed …
https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2026/04/catching-a-scram…

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web search NEUTRAL — This approach allowed them to visualize both the active and inactive conformations of the scramblase at near‑atomic resolution.The team found that liposome membranes closely mimicked the natural membr…
https://www.biocompare.com/Life-Science-News/625230-Weill-Co…

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web search NEUTRAL — TMEM16F is a dual ion channel and lipid scramblase that is involved in blood coagulation and cell fusion. Here, authors elucidate how the protein is activated by Ca2+ to accomplish both functions in a…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-34497-x?error=coo…

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Claim 4: “The protein is also involved in the formation of the placenta in pregnancy, bone development and immune functions”

CORROBORATED

The role of TMEM16F in placenta formation, bone development, and immune functions is confirmed by the Weill Cornell newsroom and a specific PDF regarding trophoblast fusion.

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web search NEUTRAL — The protein also contributes to placenta formation during pregnancy, bone development, and immune functions, and it is altered or exploited in various cancers and infections.
https://www.biocompare.com/Life-Science-News/625230-Weill-Co…

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web search NEUTRAL — TMEM16F is widely expressed across the body, but its role in the brain and neurodegeneration is largely unexplored. This study provides evidence of neuronal TMEM16F-mediated aberrant phosphatidylserin…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11228522/

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web search NEUTRAL — Differentiation of human placental villous trophoblast includes syncytial fusion of cytotrophoblast forming syncytiotrophoblast. Early stages of the apoptosis cascade were described to be involved in …
https://www.academia.edu/103179848/TMEM16F_phospholipid_scra…

verified

Claim 5: “Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have revealed the detailed workings of a cell membrane protein that has essential roles in all animals.”

VERIFIED

The claim is directly supported by the Weill Cornell Medicine newsroom and corroborated by other research summaries regarding the TMEM16F protein.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sanford I. "Sandy" Weill (; born March 16, 1933) is an American banker, financier, and philanthropist. He is a former chief executive and chairman of Citigroup. He served in those positions from 1998 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanford_I._Weill

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Weill Cornell Medical Center (; previously known as New York Hospital, Old New York Hospital, and City Hospital) is a research hospital in New York City. It is the teaching hospital for Cornell Univer…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weill_Cornell_Medical_Center

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, locat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weill_Cornell_Medicine

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “a mutation affecting the scramblase underlies a hemophilia-like bleeding disorder called Scott Syndrome.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including a PDF on compound heterozygosity and FindZebra, explicitly link mutations in TMEM16F to Scott Syndrome, a bleeding disorder.

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web search NEUTRAL — Scott Syndrome: Signs, Causes, And How To Treat. Scott syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects blood clotting. It is caused by mutations in certain genes that are involved in the process of b…
https://www.medicoverhospitals.in/diseases/scott-syndrome/

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web search NEUTRAL — syndrome, an inherited bleeding disorder caused by defective. scramblase activity, was reported to be homozygous for a TMEM16F. mutation (IVS12–1G3T) causing exon 13 skipping, frame shift, and prematu…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51069168_Compound_h…

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web search NEUTRAL — Scott syndrome is a mild platelet-type bleeding disorder characterized by impaired surface exposure of procoagulant phosphatidylserine (PS) on platelets and other blood cells, following activation wit…
https://findzebra.com/details/Q2wLK0A-scott-syndrome?q=Cowde…

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Claim 7: “They found that elements of the protein rotate to form an X-shape in the membrane which opens a pore or groove.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results specifically describing the 'X-shape' rotation of the protein elements, although the general mechanism of the protein was discussed.

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Claim 8: “High levels of calcium ions in the cell interior normally drive TMEM16F into its active, lipid-scrambling state.”

CORROBORATED

The activation of TMEM16F by intracellular calcium ions is confirmed by the Weill Cornell newsroom and academic descriptions of the protein as a 'Ca2+-activated' channel/scramblase.

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web search NEUTRAL — As a Ca2+-activated lipid scramblase and ion channel that mediates Ca2+ influx, TMEM16F relies on both functions to facilitate extracellular vesicle generation, blood coagulation, and bone formation. …
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31291589/

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web search NEUTRAL — Lily Jan and colleagues describe their work using TMEM16F knockout mice to discover the mechanism of lipid scrambling at the plasma membrane, an important pr...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_w-nku_7Y

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web search NEUTRAL — The scramblase TMEM16F also works as an ion channel, allowing small, charged molecules such as potassium or chloride ions through the membrane.High levels of calcium ions in the cell interior normally…
https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2026/04/catching-a-scram…

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Claim 9: “The scramblase TMEM16F also works as an ion channel, allowing small, charged molecules such as potassium or chloride ions through the membrane.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including the Weill Cornell newsroom and academic summaries (Structural basis for the activation of the lipid scramblase TMEM16F), confirm that TMEM16F acts as both a lipid scramblase and an ion channel.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anoctamin 6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ANO6 gene.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoctamin_6

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.