| Background |
Integrin α11, also known as type I collagen receptor, is a single-pass type I transmembrane protein that mediates cell-matrix adhesion and is part of the family of integrins that play a pivotal role in regulation processes of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, tumor invasion, and metastasis. Integrin α11 is highly expressed in embryonic fibroblasts and myofibroblasts and to varying degrees in the cytoplasm of most human tissues . In non-small cell lung cancers, integrin α11 overexpression correlates with tumorigenicity and formation of secondary metastatic lesions by increasing the migration and invasion capacity. TGFβ activation of integrin α11 results in significant upregulation and overexpression by cancer associated fibroblasts in the tumor stroma; therefore, it has been used as a prognostic marker in certain cancers. As a receptor for type I collagen, which is found in fibrotic tissue of the liver, lung, and kidney, integrin α11 colocalizes with α-smooth muscle actin. Type I collagen is the most abundant form in the body, indicating a role for targeting integrin α11 in the therapeutic intervention of fibrotic disease.
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