How Wnt/Frizzled signals help cells line up correctly in organs
Wnt/Frizzled-PCP signaling in development and disease
Researchers are looking at how Wnt/Frizzled signaling helps cells orient and organize in tissues, which can affect development and certain cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11316988 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses lab models such as fruit flies, cultured cells, and mammalian tissues to track how Wnt ligands and their Frizzled receptors set up planar cell polarity. The team applies genetics, molecular biology, and high-resolution microscopy to follow where these proteins go inside cells and how they communicate between neighbors. They aim to understand how these polarity programs support organ formation and how defects contribute to developmental problems and cancer. Some parts of the work may analyze human tissue samples or patient-derived cells to connect lab findings to human disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with epithelial cancers or congenital conditions linked to cell-polarity defects might be eligible to provide samples or take part in related future studies.
Not a fit: If you need an immediate new treatment, this basic laboratory research is unlikely to provide direct personal benefit right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Improved knowledge of how cells organize could eventually point to new ways to prevent or treat developmental disorders and some cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Work in fruit flies and mice has successfully defined many PCP mechanisms, but applying those discoveries to human therapies is still at an early stage.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mlodzik, Marek — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Mlodzik, Marek
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.