Birchmeier W
Max-Delbrück-Centrum for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Princess Takamatsu Symp. 1994;24:214-32.
It has been realized that the loss of epithelial differentiation in carcinomas, which is accompanied by higher mobility and invasiveness of the tumor cells, is often a consequence of reduced intercellular adhesion. A variety of recent reports have indicated that the primary cause for the 'scattering' of the cells in invasive carcinomas is a disturbance of the integrity of intercellular junctions. It has also been suggested that during invasion, carcinoma cells convert to a sort of mesenchymal stage, as do normal epithelial cells during development. This paper discusses permanent and transient molecular mechanisms which lead to the impairment of junction integrity of epithelial cells and thus to the progression of carcinomas towards a more invasive state.
人们已经认识到，在癌组织中上皮分化的丧失往往是细胞间黏附减少的结果，同时伴随着肿瘤细胞更高的迁移性和侵袭性。最近的各种报道表明，浸润性癌中细胞“分散”的主要原因是细胞间连接完整性的破坏。也有人提出，在侵袭过程中，癌细胞会转变为一种间充质阶段，就像正常上皮细胞在发育过程中那样。本文讨论了导致上皮细胞连接完整性受损从而使癌组织向更具侵袭性状态发展的永久性和暂时性分子机制。
