adhesionlysis

Adhesionlysis is a biophysical and biochemical process in which intercellular or cell–extracellular matrix adhesion is disrupted. The term combines adhesion, the attachment of cells to each other or to a substrate, and lysis, the breakdown of a structure. Intercellular adhesive contacts are maintained by adhesion molecules such as cadherins, integrins, selectins and immunoglobulin superfamily members. When adhesionlysis occurs, these molecules are cleaved, modified or displaced, resulting in reduced cell–cell or cell–matrix cohesion.

Cellular mechanisms that trigger adhesionlysis include protease activity, notably matrix metalloproteinases and ADAM proteases, phosphorylation of cytoskeletal linkers, mechanical strain and inflammatory signals. In developmental biology, adhesionlysis is essential for processes such as gastrulation, neural crest migration and embryonic remodeling. In wound healing, controlled adhesionlysis allows keratinocytes and fibroblasts to migrate across a damaged area. In contrast, excessive adhesionlysis can promote tumor cell detachment and metastasis, and is implicated in inflammatory disease and tissue degeneration.

Therapeutic strategies aim to modulate adhesionlysis: inhibitors of ADAMs, MMPs and small molecules that stabilize cadherin bonds have shown promise in limiting pathological cell dissemination. Consequently, adhesionlysis is a fundamental process that balances tissue architecture and cellular plasticity.