Cell-matrix interactions, alterations with aging, involvement in angiogenesis.

Cell-matrix interactions are mediated primarily by integrins, which are membrane-spanning receptors capable of cell or matrix component recognition and involved in two-way intracellular signal transduction. Aging is associated with quantitative and qualitative changes in matrix macromolecules and the integrins that bind them. These changes translate into alterations in cell-matrix interactions. Integrin expression modifications have also been reported in some diseases.