Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and the second major cause of death in developing countries. Laminins are crucial
proteins in the basal lamina (one of the layers of the basement membrane), and these form a
protein network that influences both normal and transformed cell differentiation, migration and adhesion, as well as phenotype and survival. The basement membranes act as a mechanical barrier to
tumor growth, but these molecules, including laminins, are also important autocrine factors produced by
cancers to promote
tumorigenesis. Several studies in
cancers have shown the importance of LAMC2, a
laminin component. The elevated expression of LAMC2 on
cancer cells appears to drive
tumorigenesis through its interactions with several
cell-surface receptors including α6β4 and α3β1
integrins and EGFRs. The accumulating evidence indicates that LAMC2-mediated signaling network plays an important role in the progression, migration and invasion of multiple types of
cancer, suggesting that it might be a potential therapeutic anticancer target for inhibiting
tumorigenesis. Furthermore, elevated serum levels of LAMC2 in
cancer patients might be an attractive serum-based diagnostic
biomarker.