Invasion is a signature behavior of the malignant tumor and also is found as part of the normal behavior of inflammatory blood cells and tissues engaged in the morphogenetic movements of normal embryogenesis and in a number of instances of normal and pathological tissue remodeling in the adult.
Invasion results in the development of a diffuse interface between contiguous tissues.
Its alternative is the maintenance of stable, planar tissue boundaries, which is the more usual condition for contiguous tissues in the animal. Of interest are the processes that, on the one hand, stabilize planar contact interfaces between tissues, and, on the other, promote the destabilization of tissue integrity by fostering intercellular invasion. Particular attention will be devoted to a role for adhesive interactions between tissues, especially those mediated by the matrix adhesion molecule, fibronectin. Armstrong, P.B. and Armstrong, M.T. 2000.