Epithelial Integrins Coordinate Cellular Crosstalk Through the Regulation of Cytokines During Tissue Remodeling

Integrins are obligate αβ heterodimeric receptors that mediate cell–extracellular matrix interactions and exhibit bidirectional signal transduction across the plasma membrane. This integrin-mediated signal transduction regulates the expression of genes, a subset of which encode cytokines—small, secreted proteins that exhibit cell–cell communication in an autocrine or paracrine manner to regulate cell survival, proliferation, migration, ECM remodeling, and the immune response. This review examines epithelial integrins in the regulation of paracrine-acting cytokines that crosstalk to immune and stromal cells to coordinate normal and pathological tissue remodeling. Contexts explored include wound repair, fibrosis, and cancer.