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Integrins in development and cancer

Luke R Anderson1, Thomas W Owens1, Matthew J Naylor2

  • 1Discipline of Physiology & Bosch Institute, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Biophysical Reviews
|May 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Integrins, cell surface receptors, control cell fate during development and in disease. This review explores integrin roles in cell biology, mechanobiology, and cancer, highlighting their importance in tissue homeostasis.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cell fate control is crucial for metazoan development and tissue homeostasis.
  • Integrins mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, regulating cell fate.
  • The precise roles of different integrins and their temporal regulation are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the roles of integrins in key developmental processes.
  • To discuss advances in integrin mechanobiology.
  • To highlight the involvement of integrins and aberrant ECM in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of integrin function in development and disease.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on integrin mechanobiology.
  • Analysis of the link between integrins, ECM, and cancer.

Main Results:

  • Integrins regulate proliferation, polarity, apoptosis, differentiation, and stemness.
  • Integrins translate microenvironmental mechanical cues into biological responses.
  • Aberrant ECM and integrin signaling are implicated in cancer progression.

Conclusions:

  • Integrins are critical regulators of cell fate with diverse roles in development and homeostasis.
  • Integrin mechanobiology is a key area for understanding cellular responses to the microenvironment.
  • Targeting integrins and ECM interactions holds potential for cancer therapy.
Keywords:
CancerCell fateExtracellular matrixIntegrinsMechanobiologyStem cells

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