Grant: Project Grant

Integrins are the main molecules in the human body that link cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM), a mixture of complex sugars and proteins that forms the base upon which tissues are built. Integrins are very important for many processes and disruptions in integrin function are associated with a large array of disease processes in humans. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms by which integrin carry out their diverse functions as this will give us crucial insight into many disease processes. To understand how integrins carry out so many diverse functions we are focusing on how they are regulated, that is, how they are switched on and off at certain times. Our proposal presents experiments that seek to understand how integrins are regulated and how this regulation contributes to tissue formation and repair. We propose to use mice containing mutations that up or down regulate integrin based adhesion to see how integrin regulation contributes to diverse processes. in particular we will focus on integrin's role in fibroblasts, specialised cells that are important for tissue repair, melanocytes which are the cells that give skin its pigmentation, and platelets, which are responsible for blood clotting. Results of this study will shed important light on how integrins are controlled during human development and tissue maintenance, and also provide insight into how dysregulation of integrin function leads to disease.