Integrins and tumor cell dissemination

Abstract

The ability of a tumor cell to metastasize is determined, in part, by its adhesive interactions with other cells and with components of the extracellular matrix. An ever-expanding family of cell surface receptors, the integrins, is an essential player in these interactions. Research efforts aimed at understanding the precise role of individual integrins in normal and transformed cells may offer a general framework for future therapeutic approaches. Here we review recent progress toward this goal.