How proteins at cell borders hold tissues together
Structure and Assembly of Membrane Proteins at Tight Junctions
Researchers are learning how proteins at the edges of cells fit together to keep tissues healthy, which could help people with Alzheimer's, cancer, and other conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11090742 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, the team is using structural biology and biophysics to map how three families of membrane proteins assemble at tight junctions between cells. They use laboratory approaches such as high-resolution imaging, biochemical reconstitution, and physical measurements in cell and tissue models to reveal how these proteins interact. The goal is to understand how mis-assembly leads to tissue breakdown linked to diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease. Insights from this work are intended to guide new strategies to prevent or fix barrier and signaling problems in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not enroll patients, but people with Alzheimer's disease, some cancers, inflammatory bowel disease, or other conditions caused by barrier breakdown are most likely to benefit from future treatments based on these findings.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to cell barrier or tight-junction dysfunction are unlikely to see direct benefits from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable new therapies that repair or prevent breakdowns in tissue barriers seen in Alzheimer's, certain cancers, stroke, and inflammatory diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Related structural studies have revealed pieces of tight-junction protein architecture, but the full rules of assembly remain largely unresolved and this program applies newer methods to address that gap.
Where this research is happening
Amherst, United States
- State University of New York at Buffalo — Amherst, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vecchio, Alex J. — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Vecchio, Alex J.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.