E-Cadh as Epithelial Marker

The CDH1 gene provides instructions for making a protein called epithelial cadherin or E-cadherin. Cadherins are a group of proteins on the surface of cells that help neighboring cells stick to one another (cell adhesion). These proteins bind cells together to form organized tissues.E-cadherin is one of the best-understood cadherin proteins. In addition to its role in cell adhesion, E-cadherin is involved in transmitting chemical signals within cells, controlling cell movement, and regulating the activity of certain genes. Researchers believe that E-cadherin also acts as a tumor suppressor gene, preventing cells from growing and dividing in an uncontrolled way to form a cancerous tumor. Because this protein helps cells stick together, it may keep cancer cells from detaching from a tumor, traveling through the bloodstream, and invading other tissues (metastasizing)