Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Each cell of our bodies and of all multicellular organisms contains several members of the tetraspanin family. Tetraspanins provide a network that facilitates membranal interactions, hence their involvement in multiple physiological interactions. Our studies focus on CD81, which is required for cell fusion and cell-cell interactions, functions that have been subverted by major human pathogens, including hepatitis C virus and Plasmodium. Current research is aimed at understanding the role of CD81 in metastasis.
