SUNDARAM LAB

How does the luminal matrix assemble and shape tubes? Most tubes secrete various proteoglycans, glycoproteins and lipoproteins into their developing lumens. Examples in mammals include the vascular glycocalyx, lung surfactant, and the mucus-rich linings of the gut and upper airway. There is a growing appreciation of the importance of this luminal matrix or apical Extracellular matrix (aECM) in development and disease. However, relatively little is known about how aECMs assemble within lumens or the mechanisms by which they shape developing tubes. Furthermore, aECMs are very difficult to visualize and study in most systems because they are transparent by light microscopy and destroyed by most standard fixation approaches used for immunofluorescence... Most of the organs in our body are composed of tubes that transport vital nutrients and waste and serve as important gatekeepers between us and the outside environment. Many diseases are essentially "plumbing problems" in which these..

Primary location: Philadelphia United States