Publisher Summary CD44 is a ubiquitous multistructural and multifunctional cell surface
adhesion molecule involved in cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions. CD44s is a single-
chain molecule composed of a distal extracellular domain (containing the ligand-binding
sites), a membrane-proximal region, a transmembrane-spanning domain, and a cytoplasmic
tail. Hyaluronic acid (HA), an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), is the
principal, but by no means the only ligand of CD44. Other CD44 ligands include the ECM …