Physical adhesion

Physical adhesion refers to the biological and mechanical process by which cells attach to neighboring cells or the extracellular matrix (ECM). This interaction is primarily mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), which include four major families: integrins, cadherins, selectins, and the immunoglobulin superfamily (Albelda & Buck, FASEB J, 1990). These proteins facilitate crucial physiological activities such as tissue formation, wound repair, and the recruitment of immune cells to inflammatory sites. In disease states, aberrant physical adhesion plays a central role in cancer metastasis—where cells detach from a primary tumor and adhere to distant sites—and in chronic inflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease, where excessive leukocyte adhesion causes tissue damage (Ley et al., Nat Rev Immunol, 2007). While 'physical adhesion' itself is a process rather than a discrete protein, it is the primary phenomenon targeted by a variety of monoclonal antibodies and small molecules that inhibit specific CAMs to manage inflammation and prevent thrombosis. Therapeutic intervention often focuses on disrupting the physical bond between cells to modulate immune responses or limit the spread of malignant cells.

Other names

Cell adhesionIntercellular adhesionCell-matrix adhesionBiological adhesion

Competitive or non-competitive inhibition of cell adhesion molecules (e.g., integrins) to prevent ligand binding and subsequent cellular attachment or transmigration.