Hidden actin web lets skin cells share mechanical force over long distances

MedicalXpress | Jun 04, 2026

Scientists at Université de Montréal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) have identified a dynamic structure that forms a network on the surface of epithelial cells. Led by Gregory Emery, director of IRIC's vesicular trafficking and cell signaling research unit, and Ph.D. students Claire Baudouin and Léa Marpeaux, the research is published in the Journal of Cell Science. It shows that, in certain skin cells, actin fibers can connect with neighboring cells to form a shared network on the surface of the tissue.