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Epithelial Regeneration Laboratory

Dr Helen Abud

Dr Helen Abud

Our research centres on understanding how stem cells control cellular growth and differentiation in the epithelial lining of the intestine, and how disruptions in this process cause intestinal disease.

The intestinal epithelium or bowel lining is a regenerative tissue that is constantly renewed throughout life via a small population of stem cells. We are interested in defining the mechanisms controlling intestinal stem cell differentiation and how a balance between cell division and the production of specialised, differentiated cell types is normally established in the intestine. Intestinal diseases and abnormalities are common clinical problems that can lead to the loss of epithelial tissue in infants and adults. In contrast, colorectal or bowel cancer can develop when there is an overproduction of epithelial tissue. Bowel cancer is a very common disease with a high mortality rate.  The molecular and cellular processes that control growth in the intestine are crucial yet poorly understood.

We are studying the role of several signalling molecules that regulate intestinal stem cells and may play a key role in intestinal cancer. 

The intestinal epithelium is a monolayer of cells that is constantly renewed throughout life via a small population of stem cells. This image shows a crypt from the small intestine where all nuclei are stained (blue) and stem cells highlighted (green).

 

Research Group

Abud Research Group

Research Fellows
Dr Katja Horvay

Research Assistants
Ms Helen Lescesen
Ms Emma Murphy

PhD Students
Ms Lisa Kass
Ms Genevieve Kerr

Grants

NHMRC Project Grant:

  • The role of Snail family proteins in stem cells and tumour growth (2008-2010).
  • Building an intestine: manipulating regeneration of the epithelium (2011-2013)
  • Functional studies on the role of DNp73 in stem cells and cancer (2011-2013)
  • The Impact of Wnt Signaling on Spermatogenesis (2011-2013)
Research

Publications

2011

Wnt Signaling Regulates Snai1 Expression and Cellular Localization in the Mouse Intestinal Epithelial Stem Cell Niche. Stem Cells Dev 2010; Sep 9 Epub ahead of print.
Horvay K, Casagranda F, Gany A, Hime GR, Abud HE.

2010

Genetic dissection of differential signaling threshold requirements for the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway in vivo. PLoS Genet 2010: 6(1):e1000816.
Buchert M, Athineos D, Abud HE, Burke ZD, Faux MC, Samuel MS, Jarnicki AG, Winbanks CE, Newton IP, Meniel VS, Suzuki H, Stacker SA, Näthke IS, Tosh D, Huelsken J, Clarke AR, Heath JK, Sansom OJ, Ernst M.

2009

Conditional mutations of beta-catenin and APC reveal roles for canonical Wnt signaling in lens differentiation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2009;50(10):4794-806.
Martinez G, Wijesinghe M, Turner K, Abud HE, Taketo MM, Noda T, Robinson ML, de Iongh RU.

2008

Analysing tissue and gene function in intestinal organ culture. Methods Mol Biol 2008; 468:275-86.
Abud HE, Young HM, Newgreen DF.

Differential requirement for beta-catenin in epithelial and fiber cells during lens development. Dev Biol 2008; 321(2):420-33.
Cain S, Martinez G, Kokkinos MI, Turner K, Richardson RJ, Abud HE, Huelsken J, Robinson ML, de Iongh RU.

2007

Drosophila spermatogenesis: insights into testicular cancer. Int J Androl 2007; 30(4):265-74.
Hime GR, Loveland KL, Abud HE.