FAYAD , Racha

Epithelial tissue homeostasis is fundamental for the survival and maintenance of a healthy organism. During mammary gland morphogenesis, epithelial cells communicate with their surrounding stroma in order to orchestrate the formation of a functional organ by undergoing multiple cycles of controlled proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal...

A key step of epithelial morphogenesis is the creation of the lumen. Luminogenesis by hollowing proceeds through the fusion of apical vesicles at cell–cell contacts. The small nascent lumens grow through extension, coalescence and enlargement, coordinated with cell division, to give rise to a single central lumen. Here, by using MDCK cells...

Growth hormone (GH) and insulinlike growth factor (IGF) promote aging and age-related pathologies. Inhibiting this pathway by targeting IGF receptor (IGF-1R) is a promising strategy to extend life span, alleviate age-related diseases, and reduce tumor growth. Although anti-IGF-1R agents are being developed, long-term effects of IGF-1R blockade...

Breast cancer is a major disease for women worldwide, where mortality is associated with tumour cell dissemination to distant organs. While the number of efficient anticancer therapies increased in the past 20 years, treatments targeting the invasive properties of metastatic tumour cells are still awaited. Various studies analysing invasive...

Ciliogenesis is a coordinated process initiated by the recruitment and fusion of pre-ciliary vesicles at the distal appendages of the mother centriole through mechanisms that remain unclear. Here, we report that EFA6A (also known as PSD), an exchange factor for the small G protein Arf6, is involved in early stage of ciliogenesis by promoting...

Cancer is initiated by somatic mutations in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. However, additional alterations provide selective advantages to the tumor cells to resist treatment and develop metastases. Their identification is of paramount importance. Reduced expression of EFA6B (Exchange Factor for ARF6, B) is associated with breast cancer...