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Updated: May 28, 2025

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Integrins as Key Mediators of Metastasis

Daniel Cáceres-Calle1,2, Irene Torre-Cea1,2, Laura Marcos-Zazo1,2

  • 1Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|February 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Integrins, crucial proteins in cell adhesion, drive cancer metastasis through multiple stages. Targeting integrin function offers a promising therapeutic strategy against metastatic disease and treatment resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

  • Metastasis is a major clinical challenge, often leading to therapeutic resistance.
  • The metastatic cascade involves distinct phases: niche formation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, dissemination, latency, and colonization.
  • Integrins are transmembrane proteins critical to cell adhesion and signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significant role of integrins in the metastatic cascade.
  • To underscore the potential of integrin-targeting therapies for combating metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of scientific literature on integrin function in cancer metastasis.
  • Analysis of integrin involvement in key metastatic processes.

Main Results:

  • Integrins mediate cell adhesion and intracellular signaling essential for metastasis.
  • They initiate epithelial-mesenchymal transition, pre-metastatic niche formation, and tumor cell migration.
  • Integrins also play a role in tumor vascularization, supporting metastatic growth.

Conclusions:

  • Integrins are pivotal regulators throughout the metastatic cascade.
  • Inhibiting integrin function presents a viable therapeutic approach to counteract metastasis and resistance.
Keywords:
extracellular matrixintegrinsmetastasistumor blood vessels

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