Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
From Adhesion to Invasion: Integrins, Focal Adhesion Signaling, and Actin Binding Proteins in Cervical Cancer
Marta Hałas-Wiśniewska1, Patryk Zawadka1, Wioletta Arendt1
1Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Karłowicza 24, 85-092 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Background:
Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide. Its progression involves a cascade of processes, including proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Each stage is regulated by specific signaling pathways.
Objective:
This scoping review aimed to map current evidence on the role of cell adhesion-related molecules, including integrins, focal adhesion (FA) proteins, and actin-binding proteins (ABPs), in CC progression. These protein groups act in a coordinated manner-integrins perceive and transmit extracellular matrix (ECM) signals, FA proteins mediate intracellular signaling, and ABPs reorganize the cytoskeleton, ensuring the continuity of adhesion and motility processes.
Methods:
A structured literature search was conducted for studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible articles described the role of adhesion-related proteins in migration, invasion, or EMT in CC. Data were synthesized thematically according to protein families.
Results:
The evidence highlights integrins, FA/FAK, and ABPs as interconnected regulators coordinating ECM signaling and cytoskeletal remodeling during CC progression. Their dysregulation is associated with enhanced migration, EMT induction, angiogenesis, and therapy resistance.
Conclusions:
This review provides a unique, integrated perspective linking adhesion molecules with invasion mechanisms in CC progression, providing new insights into their interplay. Understanding the interaction between these proteins is therefore a crucial step in the treatment of CC and may facilitate the discovery of biomarkers and support the development of targeted therapies.
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