ABSTRACT
Motility is a characteristic of many cells in both embryonic and adult tissues. Relationships between development and cancer are nowhere as intriguing as in the field of onco-developmental antigens. Some antisera against embryonic tissue antigens cross-react with various tumors giving rise to the notion that the transformed phenotoype may be due to the inappropriate re-expression of essentially developmental antigens. Relationships between development and cancer are nowhere as intriguing as in the field of onco-developmental antigens. Some antisera against embryonic tissue antigens cross-react with various tumors giving rise to the notion that the transformed phenotoype may be due to the inappropriate re-expression of essentially developmental antigens. The expression of several of these genes is developmentally regulated, and the embryonic connection is exemplified by the proto-oncogene int-2. Disruption of cell junctions such as desmosomes, and also of basement membranes, is particularly significant because the great majority of cancers, perhaps as many as 90%, are carcinomas and, therefore, of epithelial origin.
