Inner Workings of the Cell-Cell Contacts

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Our bodies contain trillions of cells, intimately organized into sophisticated tissues and organs.  Proper and constant coordination between the cells are necessary in order for the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts.  How all the cells behave and function as responsible members of the cellular communities are vitally important to our growth and well-being. Errors in how cells maintain contacts with one another are the hallmarks of devastating diseases, cancer being one of the most well-known examples. 

 

To better understand how the cell-cell contacts, particularly those mediated by classical cadherins, are organized to carry our their functions, we need a map or blueprint diagram of how the protein building blocks are assembled.  We focus on using super-resolution microscopy and advanced imaging methods to shed light on this fascinating cellular structures.

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Our recent studies on Cell-Cell Contacts

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