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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

A Flow Cytometry-Based High-Throughput Technique for Screening Integrin-Inhibitory Drugs
Published on: February 2, 2024
Functional blocking of specific integrins inhibit colonic cancer migration
John H Robertson1, Shi Yu Yang, Marc C Winslet
1GI & Hepatobiliary Research Group, UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK.
Abstract:
For more effective oncological management of disseminated colorectal cancer, therapies must be devised that target the different individual stages of metastasis development. Recent work showed that integrin subunits alpha2, alpha6 and beta4 are involved in the colorectal cancer cell extravasation process. By means of Immunocytochemistry and Western blotting, it was shown that all three integrins are expressed not only in human colorectal cancer cells (HT29) but also in rat colonic cancer cells (DHDK12). Using in vivo models and intravital video microscopy techniques, it was shown that functional blocking of these integrin subunits by specific antibodies produced a significant reduction in cancer cell extravasation and migration. In conclusion, integrin subunits alpha2, alpha6 and beta4 are expressed in unrelated colorectal cancer cell strains and appear to play a key role in cancer cell migration.
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