S. Iden: Coupling intercellular adhesion and cell polarity signaling at epidermal junctions
Principal investigator
Prof.Dr. Sandra Iden
Universität des Saarlandes
Zentrum für Human und Molekularbiologie
Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie
Campus Homburg, Geb. 61
66421 Homburg/Saar
Tel: +49 (0)221-478-89587 (office)
sandra.iden(at)uks.eu
SPP funded Collaborator
Martim Gomes
University of Cologne
CECAD Research Center
Research group Cell Polarity and Cancer
Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 26
50931 Köln
Tel: +49 (0)221-478-84375 (office)
mgomes(at)uni-koeln.de
Assoc. Collaborator
Michael Saynisch
University of Cologne
CECAD Research Center
Research group Cell Polarity and Cancer
Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 26
50931 Köln
Tel: +49 (0)221-478-8950 (office)
michael.saynisch(at)uk-koeln.de
Summary
My group investigates functions of mammalian polarity proteins in skin morphogenesis and homeostasis, epithelial regeneration and stress responses as well as cancer. We study how deregulated polarity signaling impacts on cyto-architecture, survival and cell death using genetically modified mice in developmental and disease models as well as 2D and 3D in vitro cell culture systems. Our aim is to better understand how cell polarity signaling contributes to fundamental epithelial functions and to age-associated pathologies to reveal novel directions for targeted therapies.
Expertise
mouse disease models (skin cancer, wound healing), functional assays to study cell-cell adhesion and cell polarization, primary (co)cultures of keratinocytes and melanocytes, live cell imaging, quantitative morphometric analyses