Abstract
Tenascins are glycoproteins found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues. Their role is not only to support the tissue structurally but also to regulate the fate of the different cell types populating the ECM. For instance, tenascins are required when active tissue modeling during embryogenesis or re-modeling after injury occurs. Interestingly, the four members of the tenascin family, tenascin-C, -X, -R and -W, show different and often mutually exclusive expression patterns. As a consequence, these structurally related proteins display distinct functions and are associated with distinct pathologies. The present review aims at presenting the four members of the tenascin family with respect to their structure, expression patterns and implications in diseases and tissue mechanics.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 511-519 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2009 |
Keywords
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Ehlers Danlos
- Inflammation
- Tumor stroma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation