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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1421902
This article is part of the Research Topic Unraveling the Role of Receptor Signaling in Tumorigenesis and Cancer Therapy View all articles

The mechanism of ITGB4 in tumor migration and invasion

Provisionally accepted
Guichen Huang Guichen Huang 1Minfeng Zhou Minfeng Zhou 1Damin Lu Damin Lu 2Jinxiao Li Jinxiao Li 1Tang Qian Tang Qian 2Chutong Xiong Chutong Xiong 1Fengxia Liang Fengxia Liang 2*Rui Chen Rui Chen 1*
  • 1 Wuhan Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
  • 2 Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Integrin β4 (ITGB4) is a transmembrane protein that functions as a mechanosensor, mediating the bidirectional exchange of information between the intracellular and extracellular matrices. ITGB4 plays a critical role in cell adhesion, migration, and signaling. Numerous studies have implicated ITGB4 as a key facilitator of tumor migration and invasion. This review provides a foundational description of the mechanisms by which ITGB4 regulates tumor migration and invasion through pathways involving focal adhesion kinase (FAK), protein kinase B (AKT), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These mechanisms encompass epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), phosphorylation, and methylation of associated molecules. Additionally, this review explores the role of ITGB4 in the migration and invasion of prevalent clinical tumors, including those of the digestive system, breast, and prostate.Cancer poses a significant social, public health, and economic burden. Data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) indicate that roughly one in five individuals, both men and women, will develop cancer during their lifetime. Furthermore, approximately one in nine men and one in two women succumb to the disease(1). Metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to distant organs, is the leading cause of death from cancer. Unlike primary tumors, metastasis represents a systemic disease affecting the entire body(2). Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms underlying tumor metastasis and identifying non-specific targets within the metastatic cascade are crucial for advancing cancer therapy.Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors composed of non-covalently associated α and β subunits. The human genome encodes 18 α and 8 β subunits, which

    Keywords: Integrin β4 (ITGb4), Tumor metastasis, Cell Adhesion, Epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer therapy

    Received: 23 Apr 2024; Accepted: 24 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Huang, Zhou, Lu, Li, Qian, Xiong, Liang and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Fengxia Liang, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, Hubei Province, China
    Rui Chen, Wuhan Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.