Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is involved in normal physiological processes, such as embryonic development, reproduction, proliferation, cell motility and adhesion, wound healing, angiogenesis, as well as in disease processes, such as arthritis and metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) ...

Contacts between endothelial cells are of great importance for blood vessel formation. The formation and maintenance of endothelial cell contacts require the complex interplay of plasma membrane proteins, cytoskeleton components, and signaling molecules. Some of these molecules are specifically ...

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed of several macromolecules bound together in a complex network. This structure allows cells to adhere, migrate and interact. Hyaluronic acid, a glycosaminoglycan, is a major component of ECM. Hyaluronic acid-binding proteins such as hyaluronic acid ...

Multicellular organisms are separated from external environment by a layer of epithelial cells whose integrity is maintained by intercellular junction complexes composed of tight junctions (TJ), adherens junctions, and desmosomes. Tight cell junctions serve as a physical barrier to prevent solutes ...