Hemidesmosomes are multiprotein complexes that facilitate the stable adhesion of basal
epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane. The mechanical stability of …

Wound healing is a complex process that can be divided into at least 3 continuous and
overlapping processes: an inflammatory reaction, a proliferative process leading to tissue …

Pathways that govern stem cell (SC) function are often subverted in cancer. Here, we report
the isolation to near purity of human normal mammary SCs (hNMSCs), from cultured …

Elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that maintain mammary epithelial
tissue integrity is of broad interest and paramount to the design of more effective treatments …

A growing body of literature highlights the cross-talk between tumor cells and the
surrounding peri-tumoral stroma as a key modulator of the processes of …

Cell adhesion mediated by integrin receptors has a critical function in organizing cells in
tissues and in guiding haematopoietic cells to their sites of action. However, integrin …

Integrins are a class of cell adhesion molecules that participate in cell-cell and cell-
substratum interactions and are present on essentially all human cells. The distribution of …

Development of the human embryo depends on the ability of first trimester cytotrophoblastic
stem cells to differentiate and invade the uterus. In this process, transient expression of an …

Within human epidermis there are two types of proliferating keratinocyte: stem cells, which
have high proliferative potential, and transit-amplifying cells, which are destined to undergo …

The attachment of cells to the extracellular matrix is of crucial importance in the maintenance
of tissue structure and integrity. In stratified epithelia such as in skin as well as in other …