Little is known about the importance of ITGA4 and other integrins in GIST pathogenesis, but since integrins mediate a wide variety of cellular effects and signalling that can result in tumour progression and metastasis in various types of human cancer 12, it may not be unexpected that integrins are important also in the molecular pathogenesis of GISTs. Here, ITGA4 is linked to gastrointestinal stromal tumor.