ITGA6 (integrin alpha-6) encodes a cell-surface receptor that functions primarily as a laminin-binding integrin, forming heterodimeric complexes with ITGB1 or ITGB4. In epithelial tissues, ITGA6:ITGB4 plays a critical structural role in hemidesmosomes and serves as a marker for basal stem/progenitor cells in airways and skin 12. Beyond adhesion, ITGA6:ITGB4 acts as a co-receptor for growth factor signaling, binding neuregulin-1, IGF1, and IGF2 to facilitate ERBB and insulin-like growth factor pathway activation [UniProt citations]. ITGA6 expression correlates with progenitor cell identity; ITGA6+ basal cells in distal lung organoids display enhanced clonogenic activity and self-renewal capacity 3. In disease pathology, tumor-derived ITGA6-containing extracellular vesicles promote lymph node pre-metastatic niche formation in bladder cancer through CD151-mediated interactions with lymphatic endothelial cells 4. Additionally, ITGA6 participates in vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switching via HINT1/FAK signaling in aortic aneurysm pathogenesis 5. ITGA6 is elevated in astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles from Alzheimer's disease brains and associates with amyloid and tau pathology 6. Loss-of-function mutations cause epidermolysis bullosa junctional 6 with pyloric atresia, reflecting its essential role in epithelial integrity.