COLORECTAL-CANCER AND THE INTEGRIN FAMILY OF CELL-ADHESION RECEPTORS - CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE-DIRECTIONS

Tumour progression is thought to be determined, at least in part, by t he balance between available cell surface receptors and the nature of the surrounding extracellular matrix. The integrin family of transmemb rane adhesion receptors involved in tumour tell-matrix interactions me diates cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. Certain patterns of integrin receptor expression on normal and malignant colon epithel ial cells are emerging, and it is now clear that integrins can also re gulate such divergent processes as cell proliferation and programmed c ell death in this tumour type. This implies that integrins are involve d in signal transduction events within colon carcinoma cells consequen t upon their adhesive interaction with matrix molecules. A better unde rstanding of the mechanisms involved in these events may lead to usefu l therapeutic strategies in the management of this disease.