title: Signaling mechanism of cell adhesion molecules in breast cancer metastasis: potential therapeutic targets.
abstract: Metastasis is responsible for the majority of breast cancer-related deaths. The metastatic spread of cancer cells is a complicated process that requires considerable flexibility in the adhesive properties of both tumor cells and other interacting cells. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are membrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and are essential for transducing intracellular signals responsible for adhesion, migration, invasion, angiogensis, and organ-specific metastasis. This review will discuss the recent advances in our understanding on the biological functions, signaling mechanisms, and therapeutic potentials of important CAMs involved in breast cancer metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, He-Xi District, Tianjin, 300060, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Mei
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D019087:Selectins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016023:Integrins; D019087:Selectins