β1-integrins signaling and mammary tumor progression in transgenic mouse models: implications for human breast cancer
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* Corresponding author: William J Muller william.muller@mcgill.ca
Goodman Cancer Centre, McGill University, 1160 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3A 1A3
Breast Cancer Research 2011, 13:229 doi:10.1186/bcr2905
Published: 30 November 2011Abstract
Consistent with their essential role in cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, integrins and their associated signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in cell proliferation, migration, invasion and survival, processes required in both tumorigenesis and metastasis. β1-integrins represent the predominantly expressed integrins in mammary epithelial cells and have been proven crucial for mammary gland development and differentiation. Here we provide an overview of the studies that have used transgenic mouse models of mammary tumorigenesis to establish β1-integrin as a critical mediator of breast cancer progression and thereby as a potential therapeutic target for the development of new anticancer strategies.