https://cancerbiologyprogram.med.wayne.edu/pdfs/hallmarks_cancer_article.pdf

Hallmarks of cancer: the next generation.

抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Integrins: versatility, modulation, and signaling in cell adhesion.

Pathological angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and various ischaemic and inflammatory diseases Concentrated efforts in this area of research are leading to the discovery of a growing number of pro- and anti-angiogenic molecules, some of which are already in clinical trials The complex interactions among these molecules and how they affect vascular structure and function in different environments are now beginning to be elucidated This integrated understanding is leading to the development of a number of exciting and bold approaches to treat cancer and other diseases But owing to several unanswered questions, caution is needed

Angiogenesis in cancer and other diseases

https://www.auburn.edu/academic/classes/biol/6190/refs/L04/1-s2.0-S0092867402009716-main.pdf

Integrins: Bidirectional, Allosteric Signaling Machines

Rapid progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular interactions that result in cell adhesion. Many adhesive proteins present in extracellular matrices and in the blood contain the tripeptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) as their cell recognition site. These proteins include fibronectin, vitronectin, osteopontin, collagens, thrombospondin, fibrinogen, and von Willebrand factor. The RGD sequences of each of the adhesive proteins are recognized by at least one member of a family of structurally related receptors, integrins, which are heterodimeric proteins with two membrane-spanning subunits. Some of these receptors bind to the RGD sequence of a single adhesion protein only, whereas others recognize groups of them. The conformation of the RGD sequence in the individual proteins may be critical to this recognition specificity. On the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane, the receptors connect the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. More than ten proved or suspected RGD-containing adhesion-promoting proteins have already been identified, and the integrin family includes at least as many receptors recognizing these proteins. Together, the adhesion proteins and their receptors constitute a versatile recognition system providing cells with anchorage, traction for migration, and signals for polarity, position, differentiation, and possibly growth.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/238/4826/491.full.pdf

New perspectives in cell adhesion : RGD and integrins

The ability of fibronectin to bind cells can be accounted for by the tetrapeptide L-arginyl-glycyl-L-aspartyl-L-serine, a sequence which is part of the cell attachment domain of fibronectin and present in at least five other proteins. This tetrapeptide may constitute a cellular recognition determinant common to several proteins.

Cell attachment activity of fibronectin can be duplicated by small synthetic fragments of the molecule

Proteins that contain the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) attachment site, together with the integrins that serve as receptors for them, constitute a major recognition system for cell adhesion. The RGD sequence is the cell attachment site of a large number of adhesive extracellular matrix, blood, and cell surface proteins, and nearly half of the over 20 known integrins recognize this sequence in their adhesion protein ligands. Some other integrins bind to related sequences in their ligands. The integrin-binding activity of adhesion proteins can be reproduced by short synthetic peptides containing the RGD sequence. Such peptides promote cell adhesion when insolubilized onto a surface, and inhibit it when presented to cells in solution. Reagents that bind selectively to only one or a few of the RGD-directed integrins can be designed by cyclizing peptides with selected sequences around the RGD and by synthesizing RGD mimics. As the integrin-mediated cell attachment influences and regulates cell migration, growth, differentiation, and apoptosis, the RGD peptides and mimics can be used to probe integrin functions in various biological systems. Drug design based on the RGD structure may provide new treatments for diseases such as thrombosis, osteoporosis, and cancer.

RGD and other recognition sequences for integrins.

In vivo selection of phage display libraries was used to isolate peptides that home specifically to tumor blood vessels. When coupled to the anticancer drug doxorubicin, two of these peptides-one containing an alphav integrin-binding Arg-Gly-Asp motif and the other an Asn-Gly-Arg motif-enhanced the efficacy of the drug against human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice and also reduced its toxicity. These results indicate that it may be possible to develop targeted chemotherapy strategies that are based on selective expression of receptors in tumor vasculature.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/279/5349/377.full.pdf

Cancer Treatment by Targeted Drug Delivery to Tumor Vasculature in a Mouse Model

Fibronectin, a plasma protein immunologically identical with a major surface protein of normal fibroblasts, was found to bind to collagen and gelatin. A solid phase enzyme immunoassay was used for the binding tests. Collagen, gelatin or various control proteins were adsorbed to a plastic surface. Binding of fibronectin was detected using purified fibronectin antibodies conjugated to alkaline phosphatase. Circulating fibronectin and fibronectin obtained from fibroblast cultures both showed specific binding to collagen and gelatin. Preparative affinity chromatography of plasma on gelatin coupled to Sepharose gave electrophoretically and immunologically pure fibronectin in high yields. Malignantly transformed fibroblasts lack surface fibronectin. Our findings suggest the possibility that this results in a lack of anchorage to the surrounding intercellular matrix, which could contribute to the malignant growth behavior.

Erkki Ruoslahti

Papers

New perspectives in cell adhesion : RGD and integrins

Cell attachment activity of fibronectin can be duplicated by small synthetic fragments of the molecule

RGD and other recognition sequences for integrins.

Cancer Treatment by Targeted Drug Delivery to Tumor Vasculature in a Mouse Model

Binding of soluble form of fibroblast surface protein, fibronectin, to collagen.