[Thirty years after fibronectin discovery: role in malignant transformation and in ageing]

1973 was the year of a major discovery: two proteins were shown to disappear from cell surface when cells were transformed by tumor viruses. Later on a large number of glycoproteins were recognized as identical and coined as fibronectin. In spite of 30 years of studies, interest in fibronectin remains vivid. Thanks to its study, understanding of extracellular matrix organisation, cell-matrix interactions and signalling through integrins, formation of fibronectin based fibrillar matrix made great progress. Furthermore importance of matricryptic sites emerged as well as matricryptins. Such peptides show properties that original proteins do not possess. Some of these peptides are used as therapeutic agents. On the contrary others appear to be involved in vicious circles underlying age-dependent decline of tissue function. This fascinating molecule and the parent molecules will certainly remain of interest for some time.