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Updated: May 9, 2026
08:08
Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model
Published on: June 11, 2014
How integrins control breast biology
Marina A Glukhova1, Charles H Streuli
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|July 27, 2013
Summary
The extracellular matrix (ECM)-integrin axis is crucial for normal breast development and cancer progression. Targeting integrins offers new therapeutic strategies for breast cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The extracellular matrix (ECM) and its interactions with cell surface receptors, particularly integrins, play a fundamental role in tissue homeostasis.
- Dysregulation of these interactions is increasingly recognized in various pathologies, including cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the multifaceted roles of the ECM-integrin axis in normal and malignant breast biology.
- To highlight the contribution of cell-matrix interactions to mammary gland development, function, and cancer progression.
- To discuss the impact of the tumor microenvironment on cancer cell behavior and metastasis.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on ECM-integrin interactions in breast tissue.
- Analysis of the role of integrins in mammary stem cells and tissue development.
- Examination of integrin involvement in tissue disorganization, metastasis, and the tumor microenvironment.
Main Results:
- Integrins are vital for mammary stem cell function, ductal and alveolar development, and normal breast function.
- Altered cell-matrix interactions and ECM remodeling contribute to tissue disorganization and metastasis in breast cancer.
- The tumor microenvironment, including stromal and ECM components, significantly influences the cancer cell niche.
Conclusions:
- The ECM-integrin axis is a critical regulator of both normal and malignant breast biology.
- Understanding these interactions provides insights into breast cancer progression and metastasis.
- Integrin-targeted therapies represent a promising avenue for novel breast cancer treatments.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Activation of Integrins
Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
01:10Integrins
Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
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01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
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01:25Selectins
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01:16TGF - β Signaling Pathway
The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
01:19Cadherins in Tissue Organization
The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
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