Cell signaling molecules stimulate a variety of cellular activities. Such signaling is often tightly regulated, often through interactions with other biomolecules, the extracellular and/or cellular matrix or within a particular cell environment or niche. Such interactions may be direct or indirect.
Cell signaling cascades are involved in a number of diverse biological pathways including, but not limited to modulation of cell growth, modulation of tissue homeostasis, extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics, modulation of cell migration, invasion and immune modulation/suppression. In some cases, proteins involved in cell signaling are synthesized and/or are sequestered in latent form, requiring stimulus of some kind to participate in signaling events. There remains a need in the art for agents, tools and methods for modulating cell signaling and/or cellular activities.