"Contact inhibition" refers to the phenomenon where cells stop growing or dividing when they come into contact with other cells. It acts as a natural mechanism that prevents cells from overcrowding or invading other tissues. Full definition
Cysts that resulted from loss of contact inhibition proliferated like plaques along the walls of the nephron, then buckled to form «disorganized» cysts. (sciencedaily.com)
The researchers also found that contact inhibition in naked mole rats is controlled by two genes, p16 and p27, while in humans it is primarily controlled by p27. (newscientist.com)
In contrast, loss of adhesion induced the phosphatases Dusp4 and -5 (Map - kinase phosphatases), which are inhibitors of the MAP - kinase signaling pathway, whereas contact inhibition induced the quiescent cell - specific transcription inhibitor E2F4. (journals.plos.org)