CDH1 and neoplasm: In adult vertebrates, E-cadherin is typically expressed in the cells of epithelia, where it plays a role of tumour suppressor (Vleminckx et al, 1991; Christofori and Semb, 1999), through the stabilisation of cell–cell adhesion by homophilic interactions between molecules projecting extracellularly from two contiguous cells (Vestweber and Kemler, 1985; Vleminckx et al, 1991; Christofori and Semb, 1999).