Adhesion molecules as diagnostic tools in tumor pathology

Adhesion molecules are transmembrane glycoproteins mediating cell-cell and cell extracellular matrix interactions. They control a number of fundamental biological processes including cell migration, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. In the last decade there has been an increasing interest in the exploitation of these molecules as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers in tumor pathology. For example, a large number of studies have shown that loss of E-cadherin expression correlates with high tumor grade and advanced tumor stage in a number of malignancies. The analysis of adhesion molecule profile in a routine clinical setting needs further investigation in prospective multicenter studies.