Role of the recently identified dysadherin in E-cadherin adhesion molecule downregulation in head and neck cancer.

Dysadherin is a cancer-related cell membrane glycoprotein, recently identified, playing an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. In the present minireview article, we are focusing on the role of dysadherin in E-cadherin downregulation, the various expression patterns of the molecule in head and neck cancer as well as its potential role as a molecular target for future applications in diagnosis, clinical routine and prognosis of the disease.