Proposed Signaling Mechanism (IMAGE)
Caption
The Harvard researchers proposed a mechanism to explain how the stiffness and composition of the extracellular matrix could activate signaling pathways that produce a malignant phenotype. In normal conditions (left column), membrane components can fluctuate, overlap, and cluster, forming hemidesmosomes. In a stiffer matrix, they are unable to do so (center). The problem can be corrected in vitro by increasing the concentration of laminin (right).
Credit
Image courtesy of Ovijit Chaudhuri, Harvard University.
Usage Restrictions
Editorial use only.
License
Licensed content