Cell Adhesion in Cancer

摘要

During cancer progression, cells lose their original tissue contacts, move through the extracellular matrix (ECM), enter into the lymphatic and/or blood system, extravasate, and ultimately form new tumors. Therefore, tumor cells inevitably experience alterations in cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion and the transformation activities of tumor cells are highly influenced by cell adhesion via adhesion receptors such as cadherins, integrins, cell surface proteoglycans, and tetraspanins. These adhesion receptors, together with extracellular ligands in the tumor microenvironment, couple the extracellular environment to intracellular signals, thereby enhancing cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation, and survival. Therefore, knowledge of the role of cell adhesion in cancer is key to understanding the development of cancer, and such knowledge could potentially form the basis for effective approaches to cancer treatment. Therefore, in this issue, we have invited several authors to address such issues.