Download Article

Basement membrane (BM) is a thin extracellular structure that separates epithelium from underlying stroma. It is composed of numerous glycoproteins that form an organized scaffold to support the tissues. It modulates cellular function while also serving as a robust structural barrier against tumour invasion. Laminin (a 900kDa mosaic BM glycoprotein) reflects the integrity of BM more ably in comparison to other extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and thus, may be used as a marker suggestive of the status of intact or degraded basement membrane during tumorigenesis (Souza et al., 2007).