Calcium-dependent cadherin (cadherin) is a homophilic binding cell adhesion molecule that plays a significant role in cell recognition, migration, and tissue differentiation during embryonic development.
CDH3, also known as placental cadherin or P-cadherin, belongs to the type I cadherin family. It consists of three different structural domains: an extracellular domain (ECD) containing five cadherin repeats, a transmembrane region, and a highly conserved tail domain with a catenin-binding site. The ECD mediates cis and trans interactions between multiple CDH3 molecules, while the catenin-binding domain connects CDH3 protein to p120 catenin and thereby to the cell cytoskeleton.
It is known that CDH3 is overexpressed in various malignant tumors (including breast cancer, gastric cancer, endometrial cancer, head and neck cancer, and colorectal cancer). Cases with overexpression of CDH3 protein have a worse prognosis compared to those with low or absent levels of CDH3 protein.
Therefore, this could be utilized for research on targeting CDH3-related small molecule drugs or monoclonal antibodies.
