Knights Alexander J, Funnell Alister P W, Crossley Merlin, Pearson Richard C M
School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, 2052, Australia.
Trends Cancer Res. 2012;8:61-69.
Cell junctions are sites of intercellular adhesion that maintain the integrity of epithelial tissue and regulate signalling between cells. These adhesive junctions are comprised of protein complexes that serve to establish an intercellular cytoskeletal network for anchoring cells, in addition to regulating cell polarity, molecular transport and communication. The expression of cell adhesion molecules is tightly controlled and their downregulation is essential for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that facilitates the generation of morphologically and functionally diverse cell types during embryogenesis. The characteristics of EMT are a loss of cell adhesion and increased cellular mobility. Hence, in addition to its normal role in development, dysregulated EMT has been linked to cancer progression and metastasis, the process whereby primary tumors migrate to invasive secondary sites in the body. This paper will review the current understanding of cell junctions and their role in cancer, with reference to the abnormal regulation of junction protein genes. The potential use of cell junction molecules as diagnostic and prognostic markers will also be discussed, as well as possible therapies for adhesive dysregulation.
细胞连接是细胞间黏附的位点，维持上皮组织的完整性并调节细胞间信号传导。这些黏附连接由蛋白质复合物组成，除了调节细胞极性、分子运输和通讯外，还用于建立细胞间细胞骨架网络以锚定细胞。细胞黏附分子的表达受到严格控制，其下调对于上皮-间质转化（EMT）至关重要，EMT是一个在胚胎发育过程中促进形态和功能多样的细胞类型生成的过程。EMT的特征是细胞黏附丧失和细胞迁移能力增强。因此，除了在发育中的正常作用外，失调的EMT还与癌症进展和转移有关，转移是原发性肿瘤迁移到体内侵袭性继发部位的过程。本文将参考连接蛋白基因的异常调节，综述目前对细胞连接及其在癌症中作用的理解。还将讨论细胞连接分子作为诊断和预后标志物的潜在用途，以及黏附失调的可能治疗方法。
