Saeed Nourmohammadi

Aquaporins (AQPs) are members of the Major Intrinsic Protein (MIP) family of channels that facilitate fluid homeostasis across membranes of organisms in all kingdoms of life. The aquaporin family is divided into two groups; classical AQPs selectively carry water, while aquaglyceroporins behave as channels that are permeable to small-uncharged solutes. Recent discoveries in terms of the transport of a wider range of substrates have shed new light on AQP physiological roles. Their critical role in diverse physiological functions make AQP channels attractive targets for the discovery of pharmacological modulators. Certain types of cancers metastasize with aggressiveness that correlates with the level of AQPs expression. Yet, knowledge on the direct role of specific AQPs in animal
pathologies is still limited due to large number of different AQP isoforms and the lack of selective pharmacological modulators.

Our goals are to elucidate the signaling networks in AQP-related diseases, especially cancer metastasis in mammals, and discover novel AQP antagonist and agonist compounds as tools for clinical research. In future, cancer therapeutic interventions such as surgical, chemo and radiotherapy, might be found to benefit from adjunct treatment with AQP blockers for slowing cancer metastasis.