Abstract
Integrins belong to a group of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) which is a large group of membrane-bound proteins. They are responsible for cell attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and signal transduction from the ECM to the cells. Integrins take part in many other biological activities, such as extravasation, cell-to-cell adhesion, migration, cytokine activation and release, and act as receptors for some viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They play a pivotal role in cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, tissue repair and are involved in the processes that are crucial to infection, inflammation and angiogenesis. Integrins have an important part in normal development and tissue homeostasis, and also in the development of pathological processes in the eye. This review presents the available evidence from human and animal research into integrin structure, classification, function and their role in inflammation, infection and angiogenesis in ocular diseases. Integrin receptors and ligands are clinically interesting and may be promising as new therapeutic targets in the treatment of some eye disorders.
Highlights
Integrin ligands include receptors, which belong to a family of immunoglobulinlike cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM 1)
Integrins play a key role in normal eye development and maintaining tissue homeostasis, and in the development of pathological processes, such as the healing process of the injuries of the cornea, keratoconus, allergic eye disease, keratitis, dry eye disease, eye infection in the course of COVID-19, lens opacification, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, axon degeneration in the optic nerve and scleral remodeling in high myopia (Table 1)
The integrin αV β6 is upregulated on injury [39] and is able to induce fibrosis as knocking out αV β6 was found to decrease the level of smooth muscle actin (SMA) and thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) activating transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) at an early stage of the wound-healing process
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Integrins belong to a group of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) which is a large group of membrane-bound proteins. They are involved both in cell attachment to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and in signal transduction from the ECM to the cells. Function and mechanism of integrin activation is very important, allowing detection of new compounds to be used in the case of inflammation, fighting thrombotic processes. It enables searching for new possibilities in the case of venous embolism, neoplastic metastases and other diseases
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