scholarly journals Matrix metalloproteinases in the process of invasion and metastasis of breast cancer

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 136-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordana Konjevic ◽  
Sandra Stankovic

Metastatic cascade in malignant tumors, including breast cancer, starts with localized invasion of the host tissue. This process, requiring that tumor cells separate from each other, includes loss of homotypic and heterotypic cell adhesion and cell-cell contact inhibition, acquisition of motility, exacerbated by "epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition", and production of proteolytic enzymes which degrade basal membrane and extracellular matrix. In this sense, aside from urokinase type plasminogen activator, increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is one of the earliest and most sustained events in tumor progression, playing a role in angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. MMPs are a family of 23 zinc metalloproteinases, secreted as latent pro-enzymes, activated by proteolytic cleavage, and inhibited by the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. The most commonly connected MMPs with the processes of metastasis are MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B), due to their ability to degrade collagen type IV, major component of vascular basement membrane. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are also required for the switch to the "angiogenic phenotype" during tumor progression and activation of dormant tumor cells. The association of the increase in serum MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and clinical stage suggests the usefulness of these parameters as markers in the follow-up and prognosis of breast cancer patients. The concept of "stromal-directed therapy" of cancer, with MMP-inhibitors directed against MMPs as targets, is based on the observed MMP up-regulation in tumors.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snahlata Singh ◽  
Rumela Chakrabarti

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process through which epithelial cells lose their epithelial characteristics and cell–cell contact, thus increasing their invasive potential. In addition to its well-known roles in embryonic development, wound healing, and regeneration, EMT plays an important role in tumor progression and metastatic invasion. In breast cancer, EMT both increases the migratory capacity and invasive potential of tumor cells, and initiates protumorigenic alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In particular, recent evidence has linked increased expression of EMT markers such as TWIST1 and MMPs in breast tumors with increased immune infiltration in the TME. These immune cells then provide cues that promote immune evasion by tumor cells, which is associated with enhanced tumor progression and metastasis. In the current review, we will summarize the current knowledge of the role of EMT in the biology of different subtypes of breast cancer. We will further explore the correlation between genetic switches leading to EMT and EMT-induced alterations within the TME that drive tumor growth and metastasis, as well as their possible effect on therapeutic response in breast cancer.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Christina Mertens ◽  
Matthias Schnetz ◽  
Claudia Rehwald ◽  
Stephan Grein ◽  
Eiman Elwakeel ◽  
...  

Macrophages supply iron to the breast tumor microenvironment by enforced secretion of lipocalin-2 (Lcn-2)-bound iron as well as the increased expression of the iron exporter ferroportin (FPN). We aimed at identifying the contribution of each pathway in supplying iron for the growing tumor, thereby fostering tumor progression. Analyzing the expression profiles of Lcn-2 and FPN using the spontaneous polyoma-middle-T oncogene (PyMT) breast cancer model as well as mining publicly available TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO Series(GSE) datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO), we found no association between tumor parameters and Lcn-2 or FPN. However, stromal/macrophage-expression of Lcn-2 correlated with tumor onset, lung metastases, and recurrence, whereas FPN did not. While the total iron amount in wildtype and Lcn-2−/− PyMT tumors showed no difference, we observed that tumor-associated macrophages from Lcn-2−/− compared to wildtype tumors stored more iron. In contrast, Lcn-2−/− tumor cells accumulated less iron than their wildtype counterparts, translating into a low migratory and proliferative capacity of Lcn-2−/− tumor cells in a 3D tumor spheroid model in vitro. Our data suggest a pivotal role of Lcn-2 in tumor iron-management, affecting tumor growth. This study underscores the role of iron for tumor progression and the need for a better understanding of iron-targeted therapy approaches.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1918
Author(s):  
Mio Yamaguchi ◽  
Kiyoshi Takagi ◽  
Koki Narita ◽  
Yasuhiro Miki ◽  
Yoshiaki Onodera ◽  
...  

Chemokines secreted from stromal cells have important roles for interactions with carcinoma cells and regulating tumor progression. C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL) 5 is expressed in various types of stromal cells and associated with tumor progression, interacting with C-C chemokine receptor (CCR) 1, 3 and 5 expressed in tumor cells. However, the expression on CCL5 and its receptors have so far not been well-examined in human breast carcinoma tissues. We therefore immunolocalized CCL5, as well as CCR1, 3 and 5, in 111 human breast carcinoma tissues and correlated them with clinicopathological characteristics. Stromal CCL5 immunoreactivity was significantly correlated with the aggressive phenotype of breast carcinomas. Importantly, this tendency was observed especially in the CCR3-positive group. Furthermore, the risk of recurrence was significantly higher in the patients with breast carcinomas positive for CCL5 and CCR3 but negative for CCR1 and CCR5, as compared with other patients. In summary, the CCL5-CCR3 axis might contribute to a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients, and these findings will contribute to a better understanding of the significance of the CCL5/CCRs axis in breast carcinoma microenvironment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 2042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunkoo Kang ◽  
Hyunwoo Kim ◽  
Sungmin Lee ◽  
HyeSook Youn ◽  
BuHyun Youn

Activation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to be an essential step for cancer metastasis. Tumor cells undergo EMT in response to a diverse range of extra- and intracellular stimulants. Recently, it was reported that metabolic shifts control EMT progression and induce tumor aggressiveness. In this review, we summarize the involvement of altered glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolic enzyme expression and the underlying molecular mechanisms in EMT induction in tumor cells. Moreover, we propose that metabolic regulation through gene-specific or pharmacological inhibition may suppress EMT and this treatment strategy may be applied to prevent tumor progression and improve anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy. This review presents evidence for the importance of metabolic changes in tumor progression and emphasizes the need for further studies to better understand tumor metabolism.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuiko Morita-Fujimura ◽  
Miki Fujimura ◽  
Yvan Gasche ◽  
Jean-Christophe Copin ◽  
Pak H. Chan

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of proteolytic enzymes which degrade the extracellular matrix, are implicated in blood—brain barrier disruption, which is a critical event leading to vasogenic edema. To investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the expression of MMPs in vasogenic edema, the authors measured gelatinase activities before and after cold injury (CI) using transgenic mice that overexpress superoxide dismutase-1. A marked induction of pro-gelatinase B (pro-MMP-9) was seen 2 hours after CI and was maximized at 12 hours in wild-type mice. The pro-MMP-9 level was significantly lower in transgenic mice 4 hours ( P < 0.001) and 12 hours ( P < 0.05) after CI compared to wild-type mice. The activated MMP-9 was detected from 6 to 24 hours after injury. A mild induction of pro-gelatinase A (pro-MMP-2) was seen at 6 hours and was sustained until 7 days. In contrast, the activated form of MMP-2 appeared at 24 hours, was maximized at 7 days, and was absent in transgenic mice. Western blot analysis showed that the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases were not modified after CI. The results suggest that ROS production after CI may contribute to the induction and/or activation of MMPs and could thereby exacerbate endothelial cell injury and the development of vasogenic edema after injury.


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