Tumor adherence

"Tumor adherence" is **not** the name of a discrete molecular target or receptor. Instead, it describes one step in the metastatic cascade where circulating tumor cells attach to vascular endothelium before extravasation into distant tissues[1]. This step is mediated by various **cell adhesion molecules**—including integrins, cadherins, selectins, and members of the immunoglobulin superfamily—which function as receptors on both tumor and endothelial cells[3][4]. These proteins facilitate physical anchoring and signal transduction between cells and their environment. The loss or alteration of normal adhesive properties is central to cancer progression and metastasis[2][3]. While many therapeutic strategies aim at modulating these interactions by targeting specific CAMs (such as anti-integrin antibodies), there is no single molecule known as “tumor adherence” that can be targeted directly. In summary, “tumor adherence” should not be treated as an individual druggable target but rather understood as a complex biological event involving multiple well-characterized molecular targets such as integrins and cadherins[3][4].

Other names

cell adhesiontumor cell adhesioncell adhesion molecules (CAMs)