The results suggest that E-cadherin expression is generally induced in well differentiated ovarian cancers. In contrast, alpha and beta catenins are consistently expressed in the normal ovarian surface epithelium and benign tumours, but are sometimes reduced or absent in ovarian carcinomas. It is likely that the catenins associate with membrane proteins other than E-cadherin in ovarian epithelium, and they may possibly function as tumour suppressors in this epithelium.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.