Targeting CDH17 in Cancer: When Blocking the Ligand Beats Blocking the Receptor?

Cadherin-17 (CDH17) has been implicated as protumorigenic for many years, but mechanisms have been unclear. A Spanish team has generated antibodies to an RGD motif in CDH17 that inhibits integrin α2β1 binding to CDH17 and thereby inhibits integrin activation, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. These reagents may have therapeutic potential. Clin Cancer Res; 24(2); 253-5. ©2017 AACRSee related article by Bartolomé et al., p. 433.