Epithelial Cell Polarity & Tissue Maintenance

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Most of our organs consist of epithelial cells, which are able to adhere to one another to form tissues. Because these cells are so common, it is not surprizing that most cancers come from epithelial tissues, including the intestine, kidney, breast pancreas, lung and skin to name a few. In order to form tissues and stay in place, epithelial cells need to form adhesion domains on their sides so that they can stick to their neighbours. Having formed adhesion domains, these cells can now make their top surface different from their bottom surface. Together with adhesion, the polarization of the epithelial cells is needed for them to work properly. Loss of polarity and adhesion is a hallmark of cancer and pathologists have long relied on assessing epithelial cell shape to diagnose of this disease. Work in our research group focuses on uncovering the mechanisms that regulate polarity and adhesion in epithelial cells. By understanding these mechanisms we will be able to figure out what goes wrong with these cells when cancer arises, and we will be better equipped to prevent or fix the problem.