Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey’s laboratory has made considerable progress in understanding how a protein, called ARF6, is essential to understanding carcinomas.

The communication that goes on between the adjacent cells that form the epithelial tissues of the body is analogous to tight knit communities in several ways.  People form bonds. They become friendly neighbors. They talk. But when those bonds are broken, things go wrong. The same is true for our cells, notes Biologist Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey. Epithelial-derived carcinomas begin when the bonds at the adherens junctions are broken. Thus begins the formation of a pre-cancerous tumor. D’Souza-Schorey’s laboratory has made considerable progress in understanding how a protein, called ARF6, is essential to maintain these bonds, and how, if ARF6 goes awry it can induce structural changes at the cell's edges and promote motility. Her work shows great promise in the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Read More:

Public Affairs and Communication featured Dr. D'Souza-Schorey in "Voices".