Cell adhesion molecules as tumour suppressors

Cell adhesion molecules, a diverse group of proteins expressed on the cell surface, have been implicated in numerous important cellular functions ranging from controlling morphogenesis to suppressing tumourigenesis. In this article, we discuss evidence supporting the idea that at least some proteins involved in cell adhesion may suppress tumourigenesis through influences on cell growth, differentiation and/or invasion. These studies suggest that some cell adhesion molecules may be encoded by tumour suppressor genes.