| Madeleine Durbeej-Hjalt, Ph.D., Professor, Group Leader
Phone: +46 46 222 08 12 |
Our studies with laminin alpha1 chain may clarify how cells become polarized and how epithelial cavities form.
Laminins, a large family of heterotrimeric glycoproteins, are major components of basement membranes, the thin sheets of extracellular matrix that underlie epithelial and endothelial cells and surround muscle, fat and Schwann cells. L
aminins are essential for early embryonic development and provide structural stability and compartmentalization of organs. In addition, mutations in laminin encoding genes are associated with various diseases including congenital muscular dystrophy.
The aims of our studies are 1) to understand the process by which lack of laminin alpha2 chain leads to congenital muscular dystrophy and explore the possibilities of paralogous gene therapy and 2) analyze the roles of laminin alpha1 chain in the development of epithelial cell polarity.
Since there is no treatment for congenital muscular dystrophy it is important to develop therapies based on new principles. Improvement of laminin alpha2 chain deficiency by laminin alpha1 chain may serve as a paradigm for gene therapy of congenital muscular dystrophy in patients.
Page Manager: Anna Appelberg
Last modified: 2012-02-08
