Cancer metastasis is facilitated by cell-cell interactions between cancer cells and endothelial cells in distant tissues. In addition, cancer cell interactions with platelets and leukocytes contribute to cancer cell adhesion, extravasation, and the establishment of metastatic lesions. Selectins are carbohydrate-binding molecules that bind to sialylated, fucosylated glycan structures, and are fo...

To study rolling of mouse neutrophils on P- and E-selectins in whole blood and without cell isolation, we constructed an autoperfused flow chamber made from rectangular microslides (0.2x2 mm) perfused from a carotid artery catheter. A differential pressure transducer served to measure wall shear stress. Green fluorescent neutrophils rolled on P-selectin but not E-selectin coated at 50 ng/ml, wi...

Selectins are adhesion molecules that mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell interactions among leukocytes, platelets, and endothelial cells. The naturally occurring vascular ligands for the selectins are mostly mucin-type glycoproteins. Increased expression and altered glycosylation of mucins are known to be prominent features of carcinoma progression. We have previously shown that all three sele...

OBJECTIVE There are no well-defined findings about reasons for first trimester abortion in some pregnancy cases. Selectins are cell adhesion proteins which are important for blastocyst implantation in the decidua. The goal of the study was to investigate the role of selectins in first trimester pregnancy loss by immunohistochemistry. STUDY DESIGN Decidual and placental tissue samples have bee...

The selectins initiate many critical interactions among blood cells. The volume of information and diversity of opinions on the nature of the biologically relevant ligands for selectins is remarkable. This review analyzes the matter and suggests the hypothesis that at least some of the specificity may involve recognition of "clustered saccharide patches."

A recent study shows that the leukocyte adhesion molecules known as selectins form 'catch' bonds, the dissociation rate of which decreases with increasing applied force. The ability of selectins to switch between catch and slip bonds, where dissociation increases with force, can explain the shear threshold effect, in which leukocyte adhesion goes through a maximum with increasing shear rate.

The roles of selectins in the pulmonary margination and emigration of neutrophils were investigated by using mice genetically deficient in both Eand P-selectins (E/P mutants) and/or by intravenous injections of fucoidin (inhibiting both Land P-selectins). E/P mutants were neutrophilic (14.7 + 4.9 • 106 vs. 0.8 + 0.1 • 10 ~' neutrophils/ml). This neutrophilia was associated with increased margma...

Cellular interaction is inevitable in the pathomechanism of human disease. Formation of heterotypic cellular aggregates, between distinct cells of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic origin, may be involved in events leading to inflammation and the complex process of cancer progression. Among adhesion receptors, the family of selectins with their ligands have been considered as one of the major ...