Antonis Kourtidis, Ph.D.

Current research in my laboratory focuses on the study of cell-cell adhesion complexes and their roles in cell signaling and behavior. My recent work led to a breakthrough finding: the adherens junctions associate with the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery, to regulate miRNA levels and function. Through this mechanism, the junctions suppress cell growth and expression of pro-tumorigenic and stem cell markers via miRNAs, to maintain the normal epithelial phenotype. In my lab, we are fully expanding investigation into this newly identified mechanism, of which we have only seen the tip of the iceberg: our current data indicate that the interaction of the adherens junctions with RNA complexes, miRNAs, and mRNAs is extensive. I intend to investigate the role of this mechanism in regulating gastrointestinal homeostasis and pro-tumorigenic transformation.