Cell adhesion molecules and the regulation of development.

Abstract

Cell adhesion molecules, in conjunction with the other morphoregulatory molecules, substrate adhesion molecules and cell junctional molecules, are dynamically expressed in coordinate patterns throughout development. Their activities are linked to a variety of cellular processes, and their ability to influence mechanochemical processes allows them to influence a variety of other fundamental developmental events. The clinical significance of these molecules remains to be determined, but they are clearly involved in a number of pathologic conditions and could become the focus of a wide range of diagnostic techniques and eventually even therapeutic designs.