Integrin α6β4 in Colorectal Cancer: Expression, Regulation, Functional Alterations and Use as a Biomarker.

ABSTRACT: Integrin α6β4 is one of the main laminin receptors and is primarily expressed by epithelial cells as an active component of hemidesmosomes. In this article, after a brief summary about integrins in the gut epithelium in general, I review the knowledge and clinical potential of this receptor in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Most CRC cells overexpress both α6 and β4 subunits, in situ in primary tumours as well as in established CRC cell lines. The mechanisms that lead to overexpression have not yet been elucidated but clearly involve specific transcription factors such as MYC. From a functional point of view, one key element affecting CRC cell behaviour is the relocalization of α6β4 to the actin cytoskeleton, favouring a more migratory and anoikis-resistant phenotype. Another major el

SUBMITTER: Beaulieu JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7016599 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature