ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the role of fibronectin in cancer, with particular emphasis on its roles in adhesion and the metastatic process. It describes how elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of cell interaction with fibronectin has led to the development of a novel class of antimetastatic agent which may have future applications in the treatment of malignant disease. An inherent feature of tumor metastasis is that the translocation of malignant cells can take place over great distances within the body. One recurring theme during the progression of tumor cells through the metastatic cascade is their ability to successfully invade and penetrate extracellular matrices. An experimental metastasis model system can be used to examine the role of fibronectin in the spread of tumor cells. The migration of cells on fibronectin requires the function of cell surface fibronectin receptors, both the number of such receptors and their distribution may be important for determining the ability of a cell to adhere, migrate, and invade.
