The role of cell adhesion molecules in craniofacial development.

The last decade has seen classification and characterization of previously identified glycoproteins which have been associated with cell adhesion. More recently, it has been realized that the range of these molecules is even wider than originally thought. Cell adhesion molecules are important in early development and their role in craniofacial development is now apparent. Furthermore, the interaction of cell adhesion molecules in other developmental phenomena such as epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT), reinforces the suggestion that these molecules are important in the later stages of development, particularly organogenesis. This article reviews the role of cell adhesion molecules in embryogenesis, with a particular emphasis on foetal craniofacial development.