Intercellular Communication in Aging and Disease

      Cells within a tissue are non-identical units - each of them harboring a certain, sometimes extremely high degree of deviation from the ideal cell. Yet, these imperfect cellular entities function as buildings blocks of organisms with remarkable homeostasis and longevity. Our group aims to define key principles underlying long-lasting resilience of multicellular organisms despite vulnerabilities of individual cells. To that end, we study individual cells as interdependent, rather than isolated units, and investigate various forms of intercellular communication as the tools enabling such interdependence through buffering individual cells’ deficiencies. The focus of our research is exploration of impaired cellular collaboration in aging, with the ultimate goal to support development of strategies for attenuation of aging and prevention of late-onset diseases.

      Publications