Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School have elucidated critical molecular mechanisms governing cilia development, shedding light on severe human ciliopathies caused by defects in the TMEM67 protein. This pioneering investigation precisely maps protein functions essential for cellular antennae formation, improving understanding of genetic disorders affecting ciliary structure and signaling. These insights, published recently, provide foundational knowledge enabling future therapeutic strategies for ciliopathies, a group of debilitating congenital diseases characterized by multi-organ dysfunction.