Laminin-332 (LM-332)

Laminin-332 (formerly designated as Laminin 5) is a heterotrimeric extracellular matrix glycoprotein composed of alpha-3, beta-3, and gamma-2 chains, which serves as a vital component of the basement membrane in epithelial tissues [1, 11]. It acts as a high-affinity ligand for the integrins alpha-3-beta-1 and alpha-6-beta-4, facilitating the assembly of hemidesmosomes that anchor basal epithelial cells to the underlying connective tissue [6, 12]. Beyond its structural function, Laminin-332 is a potent promoter of cell migration and survival signaling, which are essential for normal wound healing but can also drive tumor invasion and metastasis when overexpressed in the cancer microenvironment [1, 3]. Genetic mutations in its subunits result in junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB), a severe and often lethal skin-blistering disorder characterized by a lack of epidermal-dermal adherence [2, 7]. Current therapeutic development focuses on ex vivo gene-corrected skin grafts and read-through agents like gentamicin to restore its expression in JEB patients [4, 7]. In oncology, Laminin-332 is being investigated as a target for inhibitory antibodies and antagonists designed to suppress the invasive phenotype of malignant cells [3, 10].

Other names

Laminin 5Laminin-5KalininNiceinEpiligrinLadsin

Ex vivo gene replacement of deficient subunits (LAMA3, LAMB3, or LAMC2); induction of nonsense mutation read-through to restore protein synthesis; inhibition of integrin-binding domains to prevent tumor invasion and induce anoikis in malignancy.