| Literature DB >> 21508970 |
Rachel L Dusek1, Laura D Attardi.
Abstract
Adherens junctions, which are intercellular adhesive complexes that are crucial for maintaining epithelial homeostasis, are downregulated in many cancers to promote tumour progression. However, the role of desmosomes - adhesion complexes that are related to adherens junctions - in carcinogenesis has remained elusive. Recent studies using mouse genetic approaches have uncovered a role for desmosomes in tumour suppression, demonstrating that desmosome downregulation occurs before that of adherens junctions to drive tumour development and early invasion, suggesting a two-step model of adhesion dysfunction in cancer progression.Entities:
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Year: 2011 PMID: 21508970 PMCID: PMC3799918 DOI: 10.1038/nrc3051
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Nat Rev Cancer ISSN: 1474-175X Impact factor: 60.716