HetCCI: Overview

The development and viability of complex organisms rely on barrier, absorption, secretion and sensory functions provided by the epithelial tissues of organs such as the skin, lungs or gut. In these tissues, epithelial cells interact closely with different cells of non-epithelial lineages (e.g. neurons, melanocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells) and with resident immune cells (e.g. macrophages, resident T cells). These interactions are critical for building and maintaining healthy organs with dynamic response states. However, while our understanding of homotypic signalling processes between epithelial cells is steadily growing, the molecular basis and functional consequences of such heterotypic cell-cell interactions remain poorly understood. 

Research within SPP 2493 will delineate how epithelial cells interact and communicate with neighbouring non-epithelial cell types to create, maintain and regenerate functional epithelial tissues. SPP 2493 projects will assess one (or more) of the three key focus areas: 

1) epithelial-immune cell interactions 

2) epithelial-neuronal interactions

3) epithelial-mesenchymal interactions

They further aim to uncover the molecules and/or signals that underly direct heterotypic cell-cell interactions in epithelial tissues, and to reveal the developmental, physiological or pathological relevance of heterotypic communication.