The ECM (Extracellular Matrix) provides the structural framework for the formation of tissues and organs. The ECM binds to substrate adhesion molecules on the surface of cells and influences various intracellular signaling pathways that regulate survival, proliferation, polarity and differentiation. The important families of adhesion molecules that bind to the ECM are the Integrins. Integrins consist of Alpha and Beta-subunits and are composed of large extracellular domains and relatively small cytoplasmic domains (Ref.1 & 2). Ligand binding activates signaling cascades that lead to the assembly of a multiprotein complex at the site of cell adhesion to the ECM. These events have two important impacts on the cell: they forge a connection between the ECM and the Actin cytoskeleton, and they [...]