title: The metastatic odyssey: the integrin connection.
abstract: This article explores the mechanistic basis of carcinoma progression by focusing on the contribution of integrins. Integrins are essential for progression because of their ability to mediate physical interactions with extracellular matrices and their ability to regulate signaling pathways that control actin dynamics and cell movement, and for growth and survival. This article centers on a6 integrins (a6B1 and a6B4), which are receptors for the laminin family of basement membrane components. Numerous studies have implicated these integrins in cancer progression and have provided a rationale for studying the mechanistic basis of their contribution to aggressive disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Biology and Angiogenesis, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. amercuri@caregroup.harvard.edu
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mercurio
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Bachelder
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000502:physiology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D016023:Integrins / Q000502:physiology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D039121:Integrin alpha6beta1; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D016023:Integrins