integrin
noun
in·te·grin ˈin-tə-grən 
: any of various glycoproteins found on cell surfaces that are involved in the adhesion of cells (such as T cells) to other cells (such as endothelial cells) or to extracellular material (such as fibronectin or laminin) and mediate various biological processes (such as phagocytosis, wound healing, and embryogenesis)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Next, Lee and his team administered a compound that inactivated integrin alpha-5. 
Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, 13 Dec. 2019 In one cartoon, a man holding an integrin with the wrong shape is about to jump out of an airplane. Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019 In the 1980s Springer discovered integrins, a group of proteins believed to play a role in a variety of serious disorders, from fibrotic diseases to cancer. Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019 In 2011, Reiser and colleagues reported in Nature Medicine that in cell culture, suPAR damaged human podocytes through the integrin pathway. Stephen S. Hall, Science | AAAS, 19 Apr. 2018 But his research into a family of proteins known as integrins outgrew the boundaries of his lab. Brian Gormley, WSJ, 19 July 2017
Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, 13 Dec. 2019 In one cartoon, a man holding an integrin with the wrong shape is about to jump out of an airplane. Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019 In the 1980s Springer discovered integrins, a group of proteins believed to play a role in a variety of serious disorders, from fibrotic diseases to cancer. Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2019 In 2011, Reiser and colleagues reported in Nature Medicine that in cell culture, suPAR damaged human podocytes through the integrin pathway. Stephen S. Hall, Science | AAAS, 19 Apr. 2018 But his research into a family of proteins known as integrins outgrew the boundaries of his lab. Brian Gormley, WSJ, 19 July 2017 Word History
Etymology
integr- (from integral membrane protein complex) + -in entry 1
First Known Use
1986, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
integrin
noun
in·te·grin ˈin(t)-ə-grən
: any of various glycoproteins found on cell surfaces that are involved in the adhesion of cells (such as T cells) to other cells (such as endothelial cells) or to extracellular material (such as fibronectin or laminin) and mediate various biological processes (such as phagocytosis, wound healing, and embryogenesis)
Note: Integrins are composed of two dissimilar polypeptide chains (called α and β respectively) that extend through the cell membrane and vary in composition, which can influence their biological activity (such as the specificity of the ligand that they will bind).
Through these 20 or more integrins, the [extracellular] matrix sends cells various signals that regulate what genes are active, ultimately influencing whether cells proliferate, specialize, migrate, or even kill themselves. Richard Monastersky, Science News
Richard Monastersky, Science NewsEarly on we understood that integrins consist of two protein chains, or subunits. The subunit designated "alpha" is today known to have about 15 variants, and the "beta" subunit has about eight variants. Alan F. Horwitz, Scientific American
Alan F. Horwitz, Scientific American