Role of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (matrilysin) in human cancer invasion, apoptosis, growth, and angiogenesis

Redox signaling-mediated tumor extracellular matrix remodeling: pleiotropic regulatory mechanisms

BACKGROUND

The extracellular matrix (ECM), a fundamental constituent of all tissues and organs, is crucial for shaping the tumor microenvironment. Dysregulation of ECM remodeling has been closely linked to tumor initiation and progression, where specific signaling pathways, including redox signaling, play essential roles. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are risk factors for carcinogenesis whose excess can facilitate the oxidative damage of biomacromolecules, such as DNA and proteins. Emerging evidence suggests that redox effects can aid the modification, stimulation, and degradation of ECM, thus affecting ECM remodeling. These alterations in both the density and components of the ECM subsequently act as critical drivers for tumorigenesis. In this review, we provide an overview of the functions and primary traits of the ECM, and it delves into our current understanding of how redox reactions participate in ECM remodeling during cancer progression. We also discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by clinical strategies targeting redox-controlled ECM remodeling to overcome cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The redox-mediated ECM remodeling contributes importantly to tumor survival, progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis. A comprehensive investigation of the concrete mechanism of redox-mediated tumor ECM remodeling and the combination usage of redox-targeted drugs with existing treatment means may reveal new therapeutic strategy for future antitumor therapies.

The role of inflammatory mediators and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the progression of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic musculoskeletal disorder characterized by an imbalance between (synthesis) and catabolism (degradation) in altered homeostasis of articular cartilage mediated primarily by the innate immune system. OA degenerates the joints resulting in synovial hyperplasia, degradation of articular cartilage with damage of the structural and functional integrity of the cartilage extracellular matrix, subchondral sclerosis, osteophyte formation, and is characterized by chronic pain, stiffness, and loss of function. Inflammation triggered by factors like biomechanical stress is involved in the development of osteoarthritis. In OA apart from catabolic effects, anti-inflammatory anabolic processes also occur continually. There is also an underlying chronic inflammation present, not only in cartilage tissue but also within the synovium, which perpetuates tissue destruction of the OA joint. The consideration of inflammation in OA considers synovitis and/or other cellular and molecular events in the synovium during the progression of OA. In this review, we have presented the progression of joint degradation that results in OA. The critical role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of OA is discussed in detail along with the dysregulation within the cytokine networks composed of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines that drive catabolic pathways, inhibit matrix synthesis, and promote cellular apoptosis. OA pathogenesis, fluctuation of synovitis, and its clinical impact on disease progression are presented here along with the role of synovial macrophages in promoting inflammatory and destructive responses in OA. The role of interplay between different cytokines, structure, and function of their receptors in the inter-cellular signaling pathway is further explored. The effect of cytokines in the increased synthesis and release of matrix-decomposing proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) and a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif (ADAMTS), is elaborated emphasizing the potential impact of MMPs on the chondrocytes, synovial cells, articular and periarticular tissues, and other immune system cells migrating to the site of inflammation. We also shed light on the pathogenesis of OA via oxidative damage particularly due to nitric oxide (NO) via its angiogenic response to inflammation. We concluded by presenting the current knowledge about the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Synthetic MMP inhibitors include zinc binding group (ZBG), non-ZBG, and mechanism-based inhibitors, all of which have the potential to be therapeutically beneficial in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Improving our understanding of the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate the MMP gene expression, may open up new avenues for the creation of therapies that can stop the joint damage associated with OA.

Selected Cytokines and Metalloproteinases in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a collective term for two diseases: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). There are many factors, e.g., genetic, environmental and immunological, that increase the likelihood of these diseases. Indicators of IBDs include extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this review is to present data on the role of selected cytokines and metalloproteinases in IBD. In recent years, more and more transcriptomic studies are emerging. These studies are improving the characterization of the cytokine microenvironment inside inflamed tissue. It is observed that the levels of several cytokines are consistently increased in inflamed tissue in IBD, both in UC and CD. This review shows that MMPs play a major role in the pathology of inflammatory processes, cancer, and IBD. IBD-associated inflammation is associated with increased expression of MMPs and reduced ability of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) to inhibit their action. In IBD patients in tissues that are inflamed, MMPs are produced in excess and TIMP activity is not sufficient to block MMPs. This review is based on our personal selection of the literature that was retrieved by a selective search in PubMed using the terms "Inflammatory bowel disease" and "pathogenesis of Inflammatory bowel diseases" that includes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials. The involvement of the immune system in the pathophysiology of IBD is reviewed in terms of the role of the cytokines and metalloproteinases involved.

Serum matrix metalloproteinase-7: a potential biomarker in patients with Lynch Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The expression of tissue and serum matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) was shown to be elevated both in colon cancer and dysplastic lesions. We aimed to evaluate, for the first time, its role as a diagnostic marker in Lynch syndrome (LS) carriers, a hereditary syndrome with predisposition to colon cancer.

METHODS

This was a case control study. Baseline serum MMP-7 levels were determined by ELISA in 40 colon cancer patients, 62 LS-carriers and 60 healthy controls. Retrieved data from medical files included demographics, background diseases, clinical data regarding tumor characteristics and genetic data. We assessed the association of serum MMP-7 levels with different variables in the study cohort using linear regression model adjusted for potential confounders.

RESULTS

In crude analysis, serum MMP-7 levels were significantly higher in colon cancer group compared to LS-carriers and controls [median (IQR) 4.1 ng/ml (2.7-6.0), 2.3 ng/ml (1.7-3.1), 2.5 ng/ml (1.5-3.7), respectively; p value - p < 0.001) while there was no difference between the two last groups (p value = 0.583). However, after adjusting for age and gender, LS-carriers' patients had 18% higher concentrations of serum MMP-7 compared to healthy controls (p value = 0.037), while colon cancer patients had 50% higher serum MMP-7 level in comparison to healthy controls (p value < 0.001). Additionally, age was positively associated with higher serum MMP-7 levels across all study groups (r = 0.67, p value < 0.001). In contrast, no correlation was observed between serum MMP-7 and either tumor staging and gene mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

Age-adjusted serum MMP-7 levels in asymptomatic LS carriers are higher than its levels in healthy population. While in colon cancer, MMP-7 higher level probably reflects the tumor burden and may have a prognostic effect, its significance and clinical applicability as a biomarker for tumorigenesis in LS is less clear and should be elucidated.

Matrix Metalloproteinases Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment: An Updated Review (2013-2023)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are identifiable members of proteolytic enzymes that can degrade a wide range of proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM). MMPs can be categorized into six groups based on their substrate specificity and structural differences: collagenases, gelatinases, stromelysins, matrilysins, metalloelastase, and membrane-type MMPs. MMPs have been linked to a wide variety of biological processes, such as cell transformation and carcinogenesis. Over time, MMPs have been evaluated for their role in cancer progression, migration, and metastasis. Accordingly, various MMPs have become attractive therapeutic targets for anticancer drug development. The first generations of broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors displayed effective inhibitory activities but failed in clinical trials due to poor selectivity. Thanks to the evolution of X-ray crystallography, NMR analysis, and homology modeling studies, it has been possible to characterize the active sites of various MMPs and, consequently, to develop more selective, second-generation MMP inhibitors. In this review, we summarize the computational and synthesis approaches used in the development of MMP inhibitors and their evaluation as potential anticancer agents.

Diabetic Nephropathy and Gaseous Modulators

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains the leading cause of vascular morbidity and mortality in diabetes patients. Despite the progress in understanding the diabetic disease process and advanced management of nephropathy, a number of patients still progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The underlying mechanism still needs to be clarified. Gaseous signaling molecules, so-called gasotransmitters, such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), have been shown to play an essential role in the development, progression, and ramification of DN depending on their availability and physiological actions. Although the studies on gasotransmitter regulations of DN are still emerging, the evidence revealed an aberrant level of gasotransmitters in patients with diabetes. In studies, different gasotransmitter donors have been implicated in ameliorating diabetic renal dysfunction. In this perspective, we summarized an overview of the recent advances in the physiological relevance of the gaseous molecules and their multifaceted interaction with other potential factors, such as extracellular matrix (ECM), in the severity modulation of DN. Moreover, the perspective of the present review highlights the possible therapeutic interventions of gasotransmitters in ameliorating this dreaded disease.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Prognostic Value of Circulating MMP-7 Levels in Urothelial Carcinoma: A Combined Cohort Analysis, Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis

Lymph node (LN) status is the most significant prognostic factor for invasive urothelial bladder cancer (UBC); however, the optimal extent of LN dissection (LND) is debated. We assessed circulating matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) as a prognostic factor and decision-making marker for the extent of LND. Preoperative serum MMP-7 levels were determined in two independent UBC cohorts (n = 188; n = 68) and in one control cohort (n = 97) by using the ELISA method. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the prognostic role of circulating pretreatment MMP-7 levels were performed. Serum MMP-7 levels were higher in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001) with the highest levels in LN-positive cases. Half of LN-positive UBC patients had low MMP-7 levels, whereas the survival of LN-negative patients with high serum MMP-7 findings was poor. MMP-7 levels were independently associated with poor survival in both cohorts (p = 0.006, p < 0.001). Accordingly, our systematic review of six eligible publications revealed a 2.5-fold higher mortality risk in patients with high MMP-7 levels. In conclusion, preoperative MMP-7 level is a validated and independent prognostic factor in urothelial cancer. It cannot be used to decide between regional or extended LND but may be useful in identifying LN-negative high-risk patients with potentially undetected metastases.

Phenylpyrazolone-1,2,3-triazole Hybrids as Potent Antiviral Agents with Promising SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibition Potential

COVID-19 infection is now considered one of the leading causes of human death. As an attempt towards the discovery of novel medications for the COVID-19 pandemic, nineteen novel compounds containing 1,2,3-triazole side chains linked to phenylpyrazolone scaffold and terminal lipophilic aryl parts with prominent substituent functionalities were designed and synthesized via a click reaction based on our previous work. The novel compounds were assessed using an in vitro effect on the growth of SARS-CoV-2 virus-infested Vero cells with different compound concentrations: 1 and 10 μM. The data revealed that most of these derivatives showed potent cellular anti-COVID-19 activity and inhibited viral replication by more than 50% with no or weak cytotoxic effect on harboring cells. In addition, in vitro assay employing the SARS-CoV-2-Main protease inhibition assay was done to test the inhibitors' ability to block the common primary protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a mode of action. The obtained results show that the one non-linker analog 6h and two amide-based linkers 6i and 6q were the most active compounds with IC₅₀ values of 5.08, 3.16, and 7.55 μM, respectively, against the viral protease in comparison to data of the selective antiviral agent GC-376. Molecular modeling studies were done for compound placement within the binding pocket of protease which reveal conserved residues hydrogen bonding and non-hydrogen interactions of 6i analog fragments: triazole scaffold, aryl part, and linker. Moreover, the stability of compounds and their interactions with the target pocket were also studied and analyzed by molecular dynamic simulations. The physicochemical and toxicity profiles were predicted, and the results show that compounds behave as an antiviral activity with low or no cellular or organ toxicity. All research results point to the potential usage of new chemotype potent derivatives as promising leads to be explored in vivo that might open the door to rational drug development of SARS-CoV-2 Main protease potent medicines.

Polymorphisms and gene expression of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors associated with cerebral ischemic stroke in young patients with sickle cell anemia

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disease with great clinical heterogeneity and few viable strategies for treatment; hydroxyurea (HU) is the only widely used drug. Thus, the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the gene expression of MMPs 1, 2, 9, 7 and TIMPs 1 and 2, which are involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix, inflammation, and neuropathies, may provide further insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and elucidate biomarkers and molecules as potential therapeutic targets for patients with SCA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We evaluated 251 young individuals with SCA from northeastern Brazil. The groups were divided according to vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), compared to control individuals. SNP detection and gene expression assays were performed by real-time PCR, TaqMan system®. Both the expression levels of MMP1 gene, and the SNP MMP1-1607 1G/2G were associated with the risk of cerebral ischemic stroke (IS), and the expression of MMP1 was also associated with a higher frequency of VOC/year. Expression levels of MMP7, TIMP1, and TIMP2 were increased in patients conditioned to IS. The SNP 372T>C (rs4898) TIMP1 T alleles were more frequent in patients with > 5 VOC events/year. The SNP rs17576 of MMP9 showed differences in gene expression levels; it was increased in the genotypes AG, and AG+GG.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study, the SNPs, and expression provide initial support for understanding the role of MMPs-TIMPs in the pathophysiology of SCA in young patients.

Wnt3a is a promising target in colorectal cancer

Most colorectal cancers (CRC) are associated with activated Wnt signaling, making it the fourth most prevalent type of cancer globally. To function properly, the Wnt signaling pathway requires secreted glycoproteins known as Wnt ligands (Wnts). Humans have 19 Wnts, which suggest a complicated signaling and biological process, and we still know little about their functions in developing CRC. This review aims to describe the canonical Wnt signaling in CRC, particularly the Wnt3a expression pattern, and their association with the angiogenesis and progression of CRC. This review also sheds light on the inhibition of Wnt3a signaling in CRC. Despite some obstacles, a thorough understanding of Wnts is essential for effectively managing CRC.

Understanding the squamous cell carcinoma immune microenvironment

Primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common human cancer with a rising incidence of about 1.8 million in the United States annually. Primary cSCC is usually curable by surgery; however, in some cases, cSCC eventuates in nodal metastasis and death from disease specific death. cSCC results in up to 15,000 deaths each year in the United States. Until recently, non-surgical options for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic cSCC were largely ineffective. With the advent of checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy, including cemiplimab and pembrolizumab, response rates climbed to 50%, representing a vast improvement over chemotherapeutic agents used previously. Herein, we discuss the phenotype and function of SCC associated Langerhans cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, myeloid derived suppressor cells and T cells as well as SCC-associated lymphatics and blood vessels. Possible role(s) of SCC-associated cytokines in progression and invasion are reviewed. We also discuss the SCC immune microenvironment in the context of currently available and pipeline therapeutics.

Conditional ablation of heparan sulfate expression in stromal fibroblasts promotes tumor growth in vivo

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a glycocalyx component present in the extracellular matrix and cell-surface HS proteoglycans (HSPGs). Although HSPGs are known to play functional roles in multiple aspects of tumor development and progression, the effect of HS expression in the tumor stroma on tumor growth in vivo remains unclear. We conditionally deleted Ext1, which encodes a glycosyltransferase essential for the biosynthesis of HS chains, using S100a4-Cre (S100a4-Cre; Ext1f/f) to investigate the role of HS in cancer-associated fibroblasts, which is the main component of the tumor microenvironment. Subcutaneous transplantation experiments with murine MC38 colon cancer and Pan02 pancreatic cancer cells demonstrated substantially larger subcutaneous tumors in S100a4-Cre; Ext1f/f mice. Additionally, the number of myofibroblasts observed in MC38 and Pan02 subcutaneous tumors of S100a4-Cre; Ext1f/f mice decreased. Furthermore, the number of intratumoral macrophages decreased in MC38 subcutaneous tumors in S100a4-Cre; Ext1f/f mice. Finally, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) markedly increased in Pan02 subcutaneous tumors in S100a4-Cre; Ext1f/f mice, suggesting that it may contribute to rapid growth. Therefore, our study demonstrates that the tumor microenvironment with HS-reduced fibroblasts provides a favorable environment for tumor growth by affecting the function and properties of cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, and cancer cells.

MMP-7 expression is associated with a higher rate of tumor spread through air spaces in resected lung adenocarcinomas

OBJECTIVES

The spread through air spaces (STAS) of adenocarcinoma (ADC) is a unique pattern for local invasion, which comprises the spread of tumor cells within air spaces beyond the tumor edge without a direct connection with the primary tumor. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), a secreted proteolytic enzyme that degrades various extracellular matrix components and other substrates, regulates several pathophysiological processes as well as the occurrence and development of cancers in humans. Here, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of Japanese patients with treatment-naive, surgically-resected lung ADC to assess whether MMP-7 is associated with STAS development and if it could be used as a predictor of STAS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed histological evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis using microarrays. Thereafter, we scored the examined tissues for immune markers to identify significant tumor STAS predictors.

RESULTS

We identified that high MMP-7 expression is an independent predictor of a high STAS incidence. Multivariate analysis revealed that MMP-7 expression was correlated with tumor behavior and poor prognosis. Furthermore, STAS remained significantly associated with a higher risk of ADC recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The development of tumor STAS could be promoted by the functioning of MMP-7. This study could be a crucial basis for future investigations on the detection of tumor STAS.

In silico trials to design potent inhibitors against matrilysin (MMP-7)

The study deals with structure-based rational drug design against the chief zinc-rely endopeptidase called matrilysin (MMP-7) that is involved in inflammatory and metastasis process of several carcinomas. Hyperactivated matrilysin of human was targeted, because of its hydrolytic actions on extracellular matrix (ECM) protein components constitutes fibrillar collagens, gelatins, fibronectins and it also activates zymogen forms of vital matrix metalloproteinases (gelatinase A-MMP-2 and B-MMP-9) responsible for ECM destruction in many cancers. In the present work, e-pharmacophores were generated for the respective five co-crystal structures of human matrilysin by mapping ligand's pharmacophoric features. During the lead-optimization campaign, the five e-pharmacophores-based shape screening against an in-house library of >21 million compounds created a dataset of 5000 structural analogs. The subsequent three different docking strategies, including rigid-receptor docking, quantum-polarized-ligand docking, induced-fit docking and free energy binding calculations resulted four leads as novel and potent MMP-7 binders. These four leads were observed with good pharmacological features and good receiver operating characteristics curve metrics (ROC: 0.93) in post-docking evaluations against five existing co-crystal inhibitors and 1000 decoy molecules with MMP-7. Moreover, stability and dynamics behavior of matrilysin-lead1 complex and matrilysin-cocrystal ligand (TQJ) complex were analyzed in natural physiological milieu of 1000 ns or 1 µs molecular dynamics simulations. Lead1-MMP-7 complex was found with an average Cα root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 2.35 Å, average ligand root-mean-square fluctuations (RMSF) of 0.66 Å and the strong metallic interactions with E220, a key residue for proteolytic action thereby hinders ECM proteolysis that in turn can halt metastatic cancerous condition.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The miRNA-24, miRNA-21 expressions and matrix metalloproteinase-7 level in exhaled breath condensate of children with primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Bullous lung diseases may cause primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) in children. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that participate in regulation of inflammation and cancer. We hypothesized that children with bullous lung disease and PSP may have altered miRNA expressions in their exhaled breath condensates (EBCs). Therefore, a prospective study was performed to evaluate the miRNA-24 and 21 expression, and the matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) levels in EBC of children with PSP. Children with PSP were evaluated for age, gender, clinical features and results of surgical treatment. EBC samples (500-1000 ml) were collected to evaluate the miRNA-21, 24 expressions, and MMP-7, and tissue-inhibitor-MMP-1 (TIMP-1) levels. miRNA expressions and MMP levels of patients were compared with healthy controls (control group (CG),n= 12). Subjects (n= 16) with a mean age of 15 years (10-19 years), and a male-to-female ratio of 14:2 were enrolled in this study. The most common presenting symptom was sudden chest pain (n= 14). In 62.5% of the cases an underlying bullous lung disease were detected. During an average of 16.6 months (1-60 months) follow up period, four subjects relapsed. The mean MMP-7 (1.74-1.57 ng ml^-1), and TIMP-1 (1.92-1.84 ng ml^-1) levels were similar between both groups (p> 0.05). miRNA-24 expression was significantly decreased in the PSP group, when compared to the CG (0.16-1 2^-ΔΔCT,p< 0.05). In addition, the miRNA-21 expression was not different between the two groups (p> 0.05). In conclusion, the miRNA-24 levels were significantly decreased in children with PSP. Taken together, children with PSP, especially those with bullous disease, should be closely monitored in the long-term period.

An Unexplored Role for MMP-7 (Matrix Metalloproteinase-7) in Promoting Gut Permeability After Ischemic Stroke

Poststroke infections are common complications of stroke and are highly associated with poor outcomes for patients. Stroke induces profound immunodepression coupled with alterations to autonomic signaling, which together render the body more susceptible to infection from without (nosocomial/community-acquired infection) and from within (commensal bacterial infection). Critical to the hypothesis of commensal infection is the phenomenon of poststroke gut permeability and gut dysbiosis. Few studies have provided adequate explanations for the mechanisms underlying the molecular alterations that produce a more permeable gut and perturbed gut microbiota after stroke. A dysregulation in the production of matrix MMP-7 (metalloproteinase-7) may play a critical role in the progression of gut permeability after stroke. By cleaving junctional and extracellular matrix proteins, MMP-7 is capable of compromising gut barrier integrity. Because of MMP-7's unique abundance in the small intestine and its capacity to be induced in states of bacterial invasion and inflammation, along with its unique degradative capability, MMP-7 may be crucially important to the progression of gut permeability after ischemic stroke.

A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Tumorigenic Role of Matrix Metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) Across Human Cancers

Growing evidence has shown the oncogenic function of matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) in various tumors. However, no systemic pan-cancer analysis on the association between MMP7 and different cancers based on big clinical data is available. TIMER2, GEPIA2, UALCAN, cBioPortal, String, Metascape, and other web databases were searched in the present study. Generally, MMP7 expression is significantly upregulated in most The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cancer types compared to the paired normal controls, yet is downregulated in tumor tissues of invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA), kidney chromophobe (KICH), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). MMP7 protein expression is notably higher in the primary tumor tissues of colon cancer, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) than in normal tissues and is significantly lower in the primary tumor tissues of breast cancer, clear cell renal carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. Furthermore, MMP7 expression is strongly associated with pathological stages, clinical outcomes, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (TSI). Gene amplification was detected in most TCGA cancer types. In addition, the missense mutation is the primary type of MMP7 genetic alteration in tumors. Significant positive correlations between MMP7 expression and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been demonstrated in most TCGA cancers. MMP7 expression was also found to be positively correlated with infiltration of dendritic cells and macrophages in some specific tumor types. Functional enrichment analysis by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and gene ontology (GO) methods revealed that RNA processing and DNA damage checkpoints might reveal the pathogenetic mechanisms of MMP7. This pan-cancer analysis provides a clear panorama for the tumorigenic roles of MMP7 across different cancer types. Moreover, MMP7 could be a potential drug therapeutic target in such cancers.

Metformin Induces PRODH/POX-Dependent Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells

Although the antineoplastic activity of metformin (MET) is well established, the underlying mechanism of the activity is not understood. Since MET activates AMP kinase (AMPK) and proline dehydrogenase/proline oxidase (PRODH/POX) is stimulated by AMPK ligands (implicated in the regulation of cancer cell survival/apoptosis), the effect of MET on PRODH/POX-dependent apoptosis in wild-type MCF-7 cells (MCF-7^WT) and POX knockdown MCF-7 cells (MCF-7^crPOX cells) was studied. PRODH/POX catalyzes proline degradation generating ROS-induced apoptosis or autophagy. Availability of proline for PRODH/POX functions is regulated by the activity of prolidase (enzyme releasing proline from imidodipeptides), collagen biosynthesis (process consuming proline), and metabolism of proline, ornithine, and glutamic acid. We have found that MET is cytotoxic for MCF-7 cells (IC50∼17 mM), and to the lower extent for MCF-7^crPOX cells (IC50∼28 mM). In MCF-7^WT cells, the effect was accompanied by the inhibition of DNA biosynthesis, collagen biosynthesis, stimulation of ROS formation, AMPKα phosphorylation, and expression of prolidase, p53, caspase 8, caspase 9, and cleaved PARP. In MET-treated MCF-7^crPOX cells, the processes were less affected than in MCF-7^WT cells and the expression of caspase 9 was decreased, while cleaved caspase 8 and cleaved PARP were not detected. The effects were accompanied by an increase in the prolidase activity and proline concentration. The mechanism for MET-induced apoptosis involves the up-regulation of prolidase activity and a decrease in collagen biosynthesis contributing to an increase in the concentration of substrate (proline) for PRODH/POX-dependent ROS formation and activation of caspases −9 and −8. The data suggest that PRODH/POX participates in the MET-induced intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

MMP-7 marks severe pancreatic cancer and alters tumor cell signaling by proteolytic release of ectodomains

Pancreatic cancer incurs the worst survival rate of the major cancers. High levels of the protease matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in circulation correlate with poor prognosis and limited survival of patients. MMP-7 is required for a key path of pancreatic tumorigenesis in mice and is present throughout tumor progression. Enhancements to chemotherapies are needed for increasing the number of pancreatic tumors that can be removed and for preventing relapses after surgery. With these ends in mind, selective inhibition of MMP-7 may be worth investigation. An anti-MMP-7 monoclonal antibody was recently shown to increase the susceptibility of several pancreatic cancer cell lines to chemotherapeutics, increase their apoptosis, and decrease their migration. MMP-7 activities are most apparent at the surfaces of innate immune, epithelial, and tumor cells. Proteolytic shedding of multiple protein ectodomains by MMP-7 from such cell surfaces influence apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and invasion. These activities warrant targeting of MMP-7 selectively in pancreatic cancer and other tumors of mucosal epithelia. Competitive and non-competitive modes of MMP-7 inhibition are discussed.

Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer

To date, no potential markers have been established for predicting prognosis in gastric cancer. Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) has been suggested as a prognostic marker in several cancers. In this study, we aimed to determine the expression of the MMP-7 protein and its polymorphisms in gastric cancer tissues. The association between MMP-7 expression level and clinicopathological characteristics was also evaluated. MMP-7 protein expression and its polymorphisms were investigated in a total of 400 patients using immunohistochemistry and TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. The correlation of MMP-7 expression with clinicopathological characteristics, including tumor location, tumor size, histologic type, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, pathological T stage, pathological TNM stage, residual tumor, and CEA level, was investigated. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model. MMP-7 expression was found in 283 of 400 (70.75%) gastric cancer tissues. Expression of MMP-7 was significantly associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics, including vascular invasion ( $\text{OR}=6.61$ , $95\%\text{CI}=4.26–9.89$ , $p=0.024$ ), lymphatic invasion ( $\text{OR}=8.17$ , $95\%\text{CI}=4.47–12.39$ , $p=0.017$ ), undifferentiated histologic type ( $\text{OR}=2.46$ ; 95% CI, 1.31–4.52; $p=0.014$ ), higher TNM stage (stage IV) ( $\text{OR}=1.48$ , $95\%\text{CI}=1.08–3.08$ , $p=0.047$ ), and high CEA level ( $\text{OR}=5.96$ , $95\%\text{CI}=2.12–8.12$ , $p=0.026$ ). We further observed a significant association of the variant genotype; gastric cancer patients carrying GG of MMP-7 (-181A/G; rs11568818) had a greater increased risk of MMP-7 expression than did wild-type (WT) carriers (AG: odds ratio $\left(\text{OR}\right)=5.67$ ; $95\%\text{CI}=1.57–7.23$ ; $p=0.024$ and GG: $\text{OR}=8.32$ ; $95\%\text{CI}=2.94–11.42$ ; $p=0.016$ ). These findings suggest that MMP-7 expression can be used to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

Proteolytic Landscapes in Gastric Pathology and Cancerogenesis

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and a large proportion of cases are inseparably linked to infections with the bacterial pathogen and type I carcinogen Helicobacter pylori. The development of gastric cancer follows a cascade of transformative tissue events in an inflammatory environment. Proteases of host origin as well as H. pylori-derived proteases contribute to disease progression at every stage, from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer. In the present article, we discuss the importance of (metallo-)proteases in colonization, epithelial inflammation, and barrier disruption in tissue transformation, deregulation of cell proliferation and cell death, as well as tumor metastasis and neoangiogenesis. Proteases of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein (ADAM) families, caspases, calpain, and the H. pylori proteases HtrA, Hp1012, and Hp0169 cleave substrates including extracellular matrix molecules, chemokines, and cytokines, as well as their cognate receptors, and thus shape the pathogenic microenvironment. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of how proteases contribute to disease progression in the gastric compartment.

Proline Dehydrogenase/Proline Oxidase (PRODH/POX) Is Involved in the Mechanism of Metformin-Induced Apoptosis in C32 Melanoma Cell Line

The role of proline dehydrogenase/proline oxidase (PRODH/POX) in the mechanism of antineoplastic activity of metformin (MET) was studied in C32 melanoma cells. PRODH/POX is a mitochondrial enzyme-degrading proline that is implicated in the regulation of cancer cell survival/apoptosis. The enzyme is activated by AMP kinase (AMPK). It has been found that MET induced a significant decrease in cell viability and DNA biosynthesis accompanied by an increase in the expressions of AMPK and PRODH/POX in C32 cells. The mechanism for MET-dependent cytotoxicity on C32 cells was found at the level of PRODH/POX-induced ROS generation and activation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 expressions in these cells. The effects were not observed in MET-treated PRODH/POX knock-out C32 cells. Of interest is an MET-dependent increase in the concentration of proline, which is a substrate for PRODH/POX. This phenomenon is due to the MET-dependent inhibition of collagen biosynthesis, which is the main proline-utilizing process. It has been found that the underlying mechanism of anticancer activity of MET involves the activation of AMPK, PRODH/POX, increase in the cytoplasmic concentration of proline, inhibition of collagen biosynthesis, and stimulation of PRODH/POX-dependent ROS generation, which initiate the apoptosis of melanoma cells.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe based on peptide modified MnFe2O4 nanoparticles for matrix metalloproteinase-7 activity detection in vitro and in vivo

A peptide modified MnFe2O4 ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe is developed for noninvasively visualizing the distribution of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in vitro and in vivo.

Insights into the Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Precancerous Conditions and in Colorectal Cancer

Simple Summary

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer worldwide. CRC is derived from polyps and many factors, such as Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) can gain the progression of colorectal carcinogenesis. Many investigations have indicated the role of MMPs in CRC development while there is not enough knowledge about the function of MMPs in precancerous conditions. This review summarizes the current information about the role of MMPs in polyps and CRC progression.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third and second cancer for incidence and mortality worldwide, respectively, and is becoming prevalent in developing countries. Most CRCs derive from polyps, especially adenomatous polyps, which can gradually transform into CRC. The family of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of CRC. Prominent MMPs, including MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-12, MMP-13, MMP-14, and MMP-21, have been detected in CRC patients, and the expression of most of them correlates with a poor prognosis. Moreover, many studies have explored the inhibition of MMPs and targeted therapy for CRC, but there is not enough information about the role of MMPs in polyp malignancy. In this review, we discuss the role of MMPs in colorectal cancer and its pathogenesis

Differential Modulation of Matrix Metalloproteinases-2 and -7 in LAM/TSC Cells

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) dysregulation is implicated in several diseases, given their involvement in extracellular matrix degradation and cell motility. In lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a pulmonary rare disease, MMP-2 and MMP-9 have been detected at high levels in serum and urine. LAM cells, characterized by a mutation in the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)1 or TSC2, promote cystic lung destruction. The role of MMPs in invasive and destructive LAM cell capability has not yet been fully understood. We evaluated MMP-2 and MMP-7 expression, secretion, and activity in primary LAM/TSC cells that bear a TSC2 germline mutation and an epigenetic modification and depend on epidermal growth factor (EGF) for survival. 5-azacytidine restored tuberin expression with a reduction of MMP-2 and MMP-7 levels and inhibits motility, similarly to rapamycin and anti-EGFR antibody. Both drugs reduced MMP-2 and MMP-7 secretion and activity during wound healing and decreased their expression in lung nodules of a LAM mouse model. In LAM/TSC cells, MMP-2 and MMP-7 are dependent on tuberin expression, cellular adhesion, and migration. MMPs appears sensitive to rapamycin and anti-EGFR antibody only during cellular migration. Our data indicate a complex and differential modulation of MMP-2 and MMP-7 in LAM/TSC cells, likely critical for lung parenchyma remodeling during LAM progression.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Expression and Prognosis for MMPs in Human Colorectal Cancer

Background

Previous study implicated that genes of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family play an important role in tumor invasion, neoangiogenesis, and metastasis. However, the diverse expression patterns and prognostic values of 24 MMPs in colorectal cancer are yet to be analyzed.

Methods

In this study, by integrating public database and our data, we first investigated the expression levels and protein levels of MMPs in patients with colorectal cancer. Then, by using TCGA and GEO datasets, we evaluated the association of MMPs with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of colorectal cancer. Finally, by using the cBioPortal online tool, we analyzed the alterations of MMPs and did the network and pathway analyses for MMPs and their nearby genes.

Results

We found that, MMP1, MMP3, MMP7, MMP9–MMP12, and MMP14 were consistently upregulated in public dataset and our samples. Whereas, MMP28 was consistently downregulated in public dataset and our samples. In the clinicopathological analyses, upregulated MMP11, MMP14, MMP16, MMP17, MMP19, and MMP23B were significantly associated with a higher tumor stage. In the survival analyses, upregulated MMP11, MMP14, MMP17, and MMP19 were significantly associated with a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) time and a shorter relapse-free (RFS) time.

Discussion

This study implied that MMP11, MMP14, MMP17, and MMP19 are potential targets of precision therapy for patients with colorectal cancer.

Extracellular Matrix Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer

The cellular microenvironment composition and changes therein play an extremely important role in cancer development. Changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM), which constitutes a majority of the tumor stroma, significantly contribute to the development of the tumor microenvironment. These alterations within the ECM and formation of the tumor microenvironment ultimately lead to tumor development, invasion, and metastasis. The ECM is composed of various molecules such as collagen, elastin, laminin, fibronectin, and the MMPs that cleave these protein fibers and play a central role in tissue remodeling. When healthy cells undergo an insult like DNA damage and become cancerous, if the ECM does not support these neoplastic cells, further development, invasion, and metastasis fail to occur. Therefore, ECM-related cancer research is indispensable, and ECM components can be useful biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. Colorectal cancer specifically, is also affected by the ECM and many studies have been conducted to unravel the complex association between the two. Here we summarize the importance of several ECM components in colorectal cancer as well as their potential roles as biomarkers.

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) in Targeted Drug Delivery: Synthesis of a Potent and Highly Selective Inhibitor against Matrix Metalloproteinase- 7

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc endopeptidases that play a key role in both physiological and pathological tissue degradation. MMPs have reportedly shown great potentials in the degradation of the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), have shown great potentials in targeting bioactive and imaging agents in cancer treatment. MMPs could provoke Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) of cancer cells and manipulate their signaling, adhesion, migration and invasion to promote cancer cell aggressiveness. Therefore, targeting and particularly inhibiting MMPs within the tumor microenvironment is an effective strategy for cancer treatment. Based on this idea, different MMP inhibitors (MMPIs) have been developed to manipulate the tumor microenvironment towards conditions appropriate for the actions of antitumor agents. Studies are ongoing to improve the selectivity and specificity of MMPIs. Structural optimization has facilitated the discovery of selective inhibitors of the MMPs. However, so far no selective inhibitor for MMP-7 has been proposed.

AIMS

This study aims to comprehensively review the potentials and advances in applications of MMPs particularly MMP-7 in targeted cancer treatment approaches with the main focus on targeted drug delivery. Different targeting strategies for manipulating and inhibiting MMPs for the treatment of cancer are discussed. MMPs are upregulated at all stages of expression in cancers. Different MMP subtypes have shown significant targeting applicability at the genetic, protein, and activity levels in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions in a variety of cancers. The expression of MMPs significantly increases at advanced cancer stages, which can be used for controlled release in cancers in advance stages.

METHODS

Moreover, this study presents the synthesis and characteristics of a new and highly selective inhibitor against MMP-7 and discusses its applications in targeted drug delivery systems for therapeutics and diagnostics modalities.

RESULTS

Our findings showed that the structure of the inhibitor P3' side chains play the crucial role in developing an optimized MMP-7 inhibitor with high selectivity and significant degradation activities against ECM.

CONCLUSION

Optimized NDC can serve as a highly potent and selective inhibitor against MMP-7 following screening and optimization of the P3' side chains, with a Ki of 38.6 nM and an inhibitory selectivity of 575 of MMP-7 over MMP-1.

Proline oxidase silencing inhibits p53-dependent apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Proline oxidase (POX) is mitochondrial proline-degrading enzyme of dual apoptosis/survival function. POX expression and proline availability are considered an underlying mechanism for differential POX functions. The mechanism for POX-dependent regulation of cell death/survival was studied in wild-type (MCF-7^WT) and shRNA POX-silenced breast cancer cells (MCF-7^iPOX). Proline concentration and proteomic analyses were determined by LC/MS/QTOF and LC/MS/ORBITRA, respectively. Inhibition of collagen biosynthesis (proline utilizing process) by 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) contributed to induction of apoptosis in MCF-7^WT cells, as detected by increase in the expression of active caspase-3, -9 and p53. The process was not shown in MCF-7^iPOX. In MCF-7^iPOX cells prolidase activity and expression as well as proline concentration were drastically increased, compared to MCF-7^WT cells. Down-regulation of p53 in MCF-7^iPOX cells was corroborated by proteomic analysis showing decrease in the expression of p53-related proteins. The mechanism for down-regulation of p53 expression in MCF-7^iPOX cells was found at the level of p53-PEPD complex formation that was counteracted by hydrogen peroxide treatment. In this study, we found that silencing POX modulate pro-survival phenotype of MCF-7 cells and suggest that the mechanism of this process undergoes through down-regulation of p53-dependent signaling.

Circulating PTGS2, JAG1, GUCY2C and PGF mRNA in Peripheral Blood and Serum as Potential Biomarkers for Patients with Metastatic Colon Cancer

Genes involved in the angiogenic process have been proposed for the diagnosis and therapeutic response of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate the value of PTGS2, JAG1, GUCY2C and PGF-circulating RNA as biomarkers in metastatic CRC. Blood cells and serum mRNA from 59 patients with metastatic CRC and 47 healthy controls were analyzed by digital PCR. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to estimate the diagnostic value of each mRNA alone or mRNA combinations. A significant upregulation of the JAG1, PTGS2 and GUCY2C genes in blood cells and serum samples from metastatic CRC patients was detected. Circulating mRNA levels in the serum of all genes were significantly more abundant than in blood. The highest discrimination ability between metastatic CRC patients and healthy donors was obtained with PTGS2 (AUC of 0.984) and GUCY2C (AUC of 0.896) in serum samples. Biomarker combinations did not improve the discriminatory capacity of biomarkers separately. Analyzed biomarkers showed no correlation with overall survival or progression-free survival, but GUCY2C and GUCY2C/PTGS2 expression in serum correlated significantly with the response to antiangiogenic agents. These findings demonstrate that assessment of genes involved in the angiogenic process may be a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool for metastatic CRC and its response to antiangiogenic therapy.

Relationship between Metalloprotease-7 and -14 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloprotease 1 Expression by Mucosal Stromal Cells and Colorectal Cancer Development in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an example of an inflammation-related cancer. Matrix metalloproteases (MMP) are known to be associated with both processes. The aim of the study was to compare the expression of MMP-7, MMP-14 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases-1 (TIMP-1) in sporadic CRC- and IBD-associated CRC, and to compare the expression in inflamed and non-inflamed colonic tissue samples from IBD patients without or with associated CRC. An immunohistochemical study of MMP-7, -14 and TIMP-1 was performed on sporadic CRC (n = 86), IBD-associated CRC (n = 23) and colorectal mucosa of non-tumor samples from IBD patients without (n = 47) and with (n = 23) associated CRC. These factors were more frequently expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) from IBD-associated CRC than by CAF from CRC not associated with IBD. Regarding the inflamed tissue of IBD patients, Crohn’s disease (CD) patients with CRC development showed a higher expression of MMP-14 by fibroblasts and by mononuclear inflammatory cells (MICs) than CD patients without CRC development. In non-inflamed tissue samples, MMP-7 associated with fibroblasts and MICs, and TIMP-1 associated with MICs, were more frequently expressed in CD patients with CRC development than in CD patients without CRC development. Our data suggest that these factor expressions by stromal cells may be biological markers of CRC development risk in IBD patients.

Plasma Concentrations of Matrilysins MMP-7 and MMP-26 as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of proteolytic enzymes involved in the maintenance of a proper structure of extracellular matrix (ECM). Matrilysins (MMP-7 and MMP-26) are members of the MMPs group that show promise as potential breast cancer (BC) markers. The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma levels of MMP-7, MMP-26 and CA 15-3 individually and in combination and assess the diagnostic utility of studied matrilysins in patients with BC. The study group consisted of 120 patients with BC, and the control group consisted of 40 subjects with benign breast cancer and 40 healthy women. Concentrations of MMP-7 and MMP-26 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CA 15-3 by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Plasma levels of MMP-7 were significantly higher in the BC group than in the control group. Concentrations of MMP-26 and CA 15-3 were highest in stages II and IV of the disease. The highest diagnostic sensitivity was observed in stages III and IV BC for the combination of all tested markers (92.5%). The highest diagnostic specificity was noted for all tested parameters combined in the BC group (95.0%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for the combination of markers (MMP-7+MMP-26+CA 15-3) was the largest (0.9138) in stages III and IV. Individual marker analysis showed that MMP-7 had the highest AUC (0.8894) in advanced stages of the disease. Study results indicate that MMP-7 could be used as an additional marker that would improve the diagnostic utility of CA 15-3 in early stages of BC. Therefore, the combined assessment of MMP-7 and MMP-26 with CA 15-3 might be useful in determining disease progression. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether matrilysins show promise as potential markers for improving the diagnosis of BC.

Nutrigenomics and Life Style Facet- A Modulatory Molecular Evidence in Progression of Breast and Colon Cancer with Emerging Importance

Legitimate nutrition assumes a significant role in preventing diseases and, in this way, nutritional interventions establish vital strategies in the area of public health. Nutrigenomics centres on the different genes and diet in an individual and how an individual's genes influence the reaction to bioactive foodstuff. It targets considering the genetic and epigenetic interactions with nutrients to lead to a phenotypic alteration and consequently to metabolism, differentiation, or even apoptosis. Nutrigenomics and lifestyle factors play a vital role in health management and represent an exceptional prospect for the improvement of personalized diets to the individual at risk of developing diseases like cancer. Concerning cancer as a multifactorial genetic ailment, several aspects need to be investigated and analysed. Various perspectives should be researched and examined regarding the development and prognosis of breast and colon cancer. Malignant growth occurrence is anticipated to upsurge in the impending days, and an effective anticipatory strategy is required. The effect of dietary components, basically studied by nutrigenomics, looks at gene expression and molecular mechanisms. It also interrelates bioactive compounds and nutrients because of different 'omics' innovations. Several preclinical investigations demonstrate the pertinent role of nutrigenomics in breast and colon cancer, and change of dietary propensities is conceivably a successful methodology for reducing cancer risk. The connection between the genomic profile of patients with breast or colon cancer and their supplement intake, it is conceivable to imagine an idea of personalized medicine, including nutrition and medicinal services.

Roles of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) is a small proteolytic enzyme that secretes zinc and calcium endopeptidases. It can degrade a variety of extracellular matrix substrates and other substrates and plays important regulatory roles in many human pathophysiological processes. Since its discovery, MMP-7 has been recognized as a regulatory protein in wound healing, bone growth, and remodeling. Later, MMP-7 was reported to regulate the occurrence and development of cancers and mediate the proliferation, differentiation, metastasis, and invasion of several types of cancer cells via various mechanisms. Thus, matrix metalloproteinase-7 may be a promising tumor biomarker and therapeutic target. The expression of MMP-7 correlates with the clinical characteristics of cancer patients, and its expression profile is a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for a variety of human diseases. Hence, manipulating the expression or function of MMP-7 may be a potential treatment strategy for different diseases including cancers. This review summarizes the role played by MMP-7 in carcinogenesis of several human cancers, underlying mechanisms, and its clinical significance of the occurrence and development of cancers.

Elastic fibers during aging and disease

Elastic fibers are essential constituents of the extracellular matrix of higher vertebrates and endow several tissues and organs including lungs, skin and blood vessels with elasticity and resilience. During the human lifespan, elastic fibers are exposed to a variety of enzymatic, chemical and biophysical influences, and accumulate damage due to their low turnover. Aging of elastin and elastic fibers involves enzymatic degradation, oxidative damage, glycation, calcification, aspartic acid racemization, binding of lipids and lipid peroxidation products, carbamylation and mechanical fatigue. These processes can trigger an impairment or loss of elastic fiber function and are associated with severe pathologies. There are different inherited or acquired pathological conditions, which influence the structure and function of elastic fibers and microfibrils predominantly in the cardiorespiratory system and skin. Inherited elastic-fiber pathologies have a direct or indirect impact on elastic-fiber formation due to mutations in the fibrillin genes (fibrillinopathies), in the elastin gene (elastinopathies) or in genes encoding proteins that are associated with microfibrils or elastic fibers. Acquired elastic-fiber pathologies appear age-related or as a result of multiple factors impairing tissue homeostasis. This review gives an overview on the fate of elastic fibers over the human lifespan in health and disease.

Increased production of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) by asbestos exposure enhances tissue migration of human regulatory T-like cells

The effects of asbestos on immunocompetent cells have been investigated. In particular, attention was paid to regulatory T cell function, which was observed using the HTLV-1 immortalized human polyclonal T cell line MT-2. Exposure to asbestos (approximately more than 25 μg/mL for 1-3 day) induced apoptosis, and we observed an increase in regulatory T cell function and acceleration of the cell cycle with continuous exposure to low concentrations of asbestos (5-10 μg/mL for more than eight months). Furthermore, cDNA microarray analysis in this study revealed that expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) was markedly higher in exposed sublines compared to original MT-2 cells. It was determined that MMP-7 had no effect on Treg function, as determined by examination of sublines and by addition of recombinant MMP-7 and neutralizing antibodies or inhibitors of MMP-7. However, when examining melting of the extracellular matrix (an MMP-7-mediated event) or the extent to which the MT-2 parent strain or long-term exposed subline cells pass through a fibronectin-coated filter, more filter passes were observed for the subline. These results suggest that the effect of asbestos fibers on Treg cells results in excessive migration of the tumor microenvironment through hypersecretion of MMP-7 together with an increase in suppressive function and enhancement of cell cycle progression. Therefore, one possible way to prevent the development of asbestos-induced cancer is to reduce the function (including MMP-7 production) or amount of Treg cells by physiologically active substances or food ingredients. Alternatively, it may be possible to invoke immune checkpoint treatments when carcinogenesis occurs.

Anti-pulmonary metastases from cervical cancer responses induced by a human papillomavirus peptide vaccine adjuvanted with CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides in vivo

Metastasis, particularly hematogenous metastasis, is associated with poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer. The lungs are the most common site for hematogenous metastasis of cervical cancer. The currently available therapeutic modalities, including surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy do not provide satisfactory clinical outcome for patients with pulmonary metastases. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate an alternative efficacious treatment modality. Therapeutic vaccines may evoke tumor-specific immune responses in patients to attack tumor cells, representing an attractive treatment option for controlling metastatic tumors. Our previous study demonstrated that a single administration of a human papillomavirus 16 E7 peptide vaccine, adjuvanted with unmethylated CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides, induced the clearance of subcutaneous xenograft cervical cancer. In this study, we investigated the anti-metastases responses induced by this vaccine using a murine model of pulmonary metastases from cervical cancer. The results showed that subcutaneous administration of the vaccine inhibited the growth of pulmonary metastases, which may be attributed to the increased infiltration of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, and decreased number of immunosuppressive cells (including myeloid-derived suppressive cells and tumor-associated macrophages) in the lungs. Meanwhile, the alteration in a panel of cytokines, chemokines, and matrix metalloproteinases induced by the vaccination may contribute to the re-modulation of the local suppressive environment and inhibition of pulmonary metastases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the efficacy of the vaccine formula against murine pulmonary metastases from cervical cancer.

Current Concepts of Biliary Atresia and Matrix Metalloproteinase-7: A Review of Literature

Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare cholangiopathy of infancy in which the bile ducts obliterate, leading to profound cholestasis and liver fibrosis. BA is hypothesized to be caused by a viral insult that leads to over-activation of the immune system. Patients with BA are surgically treated with a Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE), which aims to restore bile flow from the liver to the intestines. After KPE, progressive liver fibrosis is often observed in BA patients, even despite surgical success and clearance of their jaundice. The innate immune response is involved during the initial damage to the cholangiocytes and further differentiation of the adaptive immune response into a T-helper 1 cell (Th1) response. Multiple studies have shown that there is continuing elevation of involved cytokines that can lead to the progressive liver fibrosis. However, the mechanism by which the progressive injury occurs is not fully elucidated. Recently, matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) has been investigated to be used as a biomarker to diagnose BA. MMPs are involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover, but also have non-ECM related functions. The role of MMP-7 and other MMPs in liver fibrosis is just starting to be elucidated. Multiple studies have shown that serum MMP-7 measurements are able to accurately diagnose BA in a cohort of cholestatic patients while hepatic MMP-7 expression correlated with BA-related liver fibrosis. While the mechanism by which MMP-7 can be involved in the pathophysiology of BA is unclear, MMP-7 has been investigated in other fibrotic pathologies such as renal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. MMP-7 is involved in Wnt/β-catenin signaling, reducing cell-to-cell contact by shedding of E-cadherin, amplifying inflammation and fibrosis via osteopontin (OPN) and TNF-α while it also appears to play a role in induction of angiogenesis This review aims to describe the current understandings of the pathophysiology of BA. Subsequently, we describe how MMP-7 is involved in other pathologies, such as renal and pulmonary fibrosis. Then, we propose how MMP-7 can potentially be involved in BA. By doing this, we aim to describe the putative role of MMP-7 as a prognostic biomarker in BA and to provide possible new therapeutic and research targets that can be investigated in the future.

Lower Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase‑9 in Metastatic Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Concurrent Radiotherapy Was Significant for Prognosis

Aim

This study was designed to investigate the relationships of serum matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) level and treatment response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients treated with chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy.

Methods

Blood samples from ESCC patients after chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy were collected at four different intervals. Serum MMP-9 was determined via Luminex assay in 134 patients with chemotherapy, 73 patients with concurrent radiotherapy, and 183 healthy controls.

Results

Serum MMP-9 level was significantly higher in patients with ESCC than in healthy controls (P <0.001). Compared with the pre-treatment, a lower level of serum MMP-9 was maintained at four cycles of treatment in ESCC patients with concurrent radiotherapy (P < 0.001). Serum MMP-9 level was obviously lower in ESCC patients with metastasis after concurrent radiotherapy than after chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Patients with higher MMP-9 level (≥820.693 ng/mL) had a shorter mean survival time by 42 months versus lower MMP-9 level (<820.693 ng/mL) after chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Serum MMP-9 is a potential prognostic biomarker for treatment response to chemotherapy or concurrent radiotherapy in terms of overall survival (OS) in ESCC patients.

Colitis-induced IL11 promotes colon carcinogenesis

Colitis increases the risk of colorectal cancer; however, the mechanism of the association between colitis and cancer remains largely unknown. To identify colitis-associated cancer promoting factors, we investigated gene expression changes caused by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. By analyzing gene expression profiles, we found that IL11 was upregulated in DSS-induced colitis tissue and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]-pyridine (PhIP)/DSS-induced colon tumours in mice as well as in human colorectal cancer. By characterizing the activation/phosphorylation of STAT3 (pSTAT3), we found that pSTAT3 was induced transiently in colitis, but maintained at higher levels from hyper-proliferative dysplastic lesions to tumours. Using the IL11 receptor (IL11Rα1) knockout mice, we found that pSTAT3 in the newly regenerated crypt epithelial cells in colitis is abolished in IL11Rα1+/- and -/- mice, suggesting that colitis-induced IL11 activates STAT3 in colon crypt epithelial cells. Moreover, colitis-promoted colon carcinogenesis was significantly reduced in IL11Rα1+/- and -/- mice. To determine the roles of the IL11 in colitis, we found that the inhibition of IL11 signalling by recombinant IL11 antagonist mutein during colitis was sufficient to attenuate colitis-promoted carcinogenesis. Together, our results demonstrated that colitis-induced IL11 plays critical roles in creating cancer promoting microenvironment to facilitate the development of colon cancer from dormant premalignant cells.

Matrilysins and Stromelysins in Pathogenesis and Diagnostics of Cancers

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases which are widely studied in terms of their role in the physiological and pathological processes in the organism. In this article, we consider usefulness of matrilysins and stromelysins in pathogenesis and diagnostic of the most common malignancies in the world, e.g., lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. In all of the mentioned cancers, matrilysins and stromelysins have a pivotal role in their development and also may have diagnostic utility. Influence to the cancerous process is connected with specific dependencies between these enzymes and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), non-matrix components like cell surface components. All the information provided below allows to take a closer look at matrilysins and stromelysins and their functions in the cancer development.

The prognostic value of serum MMP-7 levels in prostate cancer patients who received docetaxel, abiraterone, or enzalutamide therapy

OBJECTIVES

The rapidly changing treatment landscape in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) calls for biomarkers to guide treatment decisions. We recently identified MMP-7 as a potential serum marker for the prediction of response and survival in mCRPC patients who received docetaxel (DOC) chemotherapy. Here, we aimed to test this finding in an independent patient cohort and in addition to explore the prognostic potential of serum MMP-7 in abiraterone (ABI) or enzalutamide (ENZA) treated patients.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

MMP-7 levels were measured in 836 serum samples from 320 mCRPC patients collected before and during DOC (n = 95), ABI (n = 140), or ENZA (n = 85) treatment by using the ELISA method. Results were correlated with clinical and follow-up data.

RESULTS

MMP-7 baseline levels were similar between the 3 treatment groups. In the ABI and ENZA cohorts, baseline MMP-7 levels were lower in patients with prior radical prostatectomy (P = 0.058 and P = 0.041, respectively). Baseline MMP-7 levels above the median were associated with shorter overall survival for the DOC (P = 0.001) and ENZA (P = 0.006) cohorts. Multivariable analyses in the DOC and ENZA cohorts revealed that high pretreatment MMP-7 level is an independent risk factor for patients' survival. In addition, in DOC-treated patients with high baseline MMP-7 level, marker decrease at the third DOC cycle was associated with improved survival. Patients with high baseline MMP-7 levels had better survival when treated with ABI compared to DOC or ENZA.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed the prognostic value of pretreatment MMP-7 serum level and its changes as independent predictors of survival in DOC-treated mCRPC patients. In addition, high MMP-7 was a negative predictor in ENZA-treated but not in ABI-treated patients. These results warrant further research to confirm the predictive value of serum MMP-7 and to explore the potential mechanistic involvement of MMP-7 in DOC and ENZA resistance of mCRPC patients.

MMP-7 derived peptides with MHC class-I binding motifs from canine mammary tumor tissue elicit strong antigen-specific T-cell responses in BALB/c mice

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs)-induced altered proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins and basement membrane holds the key for tumor progression and metastasis. Matrix metalloproteinases-7 (Matrilysin), the smallest member of the MMP family also performs quite alike; thus serves as a potential candidate for anti-tumor immunotherapy. Conversely, being an endogenous tumor-associated antigen (TAA), targeting MMP-7 for immunization is challenging. But MMP-7-based xenovaccine can surmount the obstacle of poor immunogenicity and immunological tolerance, often encountered in TAA-based conventional vaccine for anti-tumor immunotherapy. This paves the way for investigating the potential of MMP-7-derived major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-binding peptides to elicit precise epitope-specific T-cell responses towards their possible inclusion in anti-tumor vaccine formulations. Perhaps it also ushers the path of achieving multiple epitope-based broad and universal cellular immunity. In current experiment, an immunoinformatics approach has been employed to identify the putative canine matrix matelloproteinases-7 (cMMP-7)-derived peptides with MHC class-I-binding motifs which can elicit potent antigen-specific immune responses in BALB/c mice. Immunization with the cMMP-7 DNA vaccine induced a strong CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and Th1- type response, with high level of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production in BALB/c mice. The two identified putative MHC-I-binding nonameric peptides (Peptide_32-40 and Peptide_175-183) from cMMP-7 induced significant lymphocyte proliferation along with the production of IFN-γ from CD8⁺ T-cells in mice immunized with cMMP-7 DNA vaccine. The current observation has depicted the immunogenic potential of the two cMMP-7-derived nonapeptides for their possible exploitation in xenovaccine-mediated anti-tumor immunotherapy in mouse model.

SNPs in Sites for DNA Methylation, Transcription Factor Binding, and miRNA Targets Leading to Allele-Specific Gene Expression and Contributing to Complex Disease Risk: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

The complex genetic diversity among human populations results from an assortment of factors acting at various sequential levels, including mutations, population migrations, genetic drift, and selection. Although there are a plethora of DNA sequence variations identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the challenge remains to explain the mechanisms underlying interindividual phenotypic disparity accounting for disease susceptibility. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in the sites for DNA methylation, transcription factor (TF) binding, or miRNA targets can alter the gene expression. The systematic review aimed to evaluate the complex crosstalk among SNPs, miRNAs, DNA methylation, and TFs for complex multifactorial disease risk.

METHODS

PubMed and Scopus databases were used from inception until May 15, 2019. Initially, screening of articles involved studies assessing the interaction of SNPs with TFs, DNA methylation, or miRNAs resulting in allele-specific gene expression in complex multifactorial diseases. We also included the studies which provided experimental validation of the interaction of SNPs with each of these factors. The results from various studies on multifactorial diseases were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 11 articles for SNPs interacting with DNA methylation, 30 articles for SNPs interacting with TFs, and 11 articles for SNPs in miRNA binding sites were selected. The interactions of SNPs with epigenetic factors were found to be implicated in different types of cancers, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and asthma.

CONCLUSION

The systematic review provides evidence for the interplay between genetic and epigenetic risk factors through allele-specific gene expression in various complex multifactorial diseases.

Coexpression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Gastric Cancer

Background

Degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), an essential step in tumour invasion and metastasis, is mainly dependent on the activities of both matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). This study aimed to explore whether expression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 alone and in combination can be used as a prognostic marker for gastric cancer (GC).

Method

A total of 285 patients who had undergone tumourectomy for GC were included. Gastric tumour tissues were stained immunohistochemically to evaluate expression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1.

Results

Expression of MMP-7 was associated with tumour N stage and neural invasion. Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that expression of MMP-7 or TIMP-1 alone cannot serve as an indicator of patient prognosis; however, coexpression of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 was found to be an independent predictive factor of overall survival in patients with GC (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.08-2.80). The results of stratified analysis also showed that the predictive value of MMP-7 and TIMP-1 coexpression was stronger in patients with N3 stage disease and not receiving chemotherapy.

Conclusions

In conclusion, coexpression of MMP-7 and its inhibitor TIMP-1 in gastric tumour tissues is a potential prognostic marker for GC. Greater knowledge of protein expression will lead to new paradigms and possible improvements in therapeutics.

Genetic signature of prostate cancer mouse models resistant to optimized hK2 targeted α-particle therapy

Hu11B6 is a monoclonal antibody that internalizes in cells expressing androgen receptor (AR)-regulated prostate-specific enzyme human kallikrein-related peptidase 2 (hK2; KLK2). In multiple rodent models, Actinium-225-labeled hu11B6-IgG1 ([225Ac]hu11B6-IgG1) has shown promising treatment efficacy. In the present study, we investigated options to enhance and optimize [225Ac]hu11B6 treatment. First, we evaluated the possibility of exploiting IgG3, the IgG subclass with superior activation of complement and ability to mediate FC-γ-receptor binding, for immunotherapeutically enhanced hK2 targeted α-radioimmunotherapy. Second, we compared the therapeutic efficacy of a single high activity vs. fractionated activity. Finally, we used RNA sequencing to analyze the genomic signatures of prostate cancer that progressed after targeted α-therapy. [225Ac]hu11B6-IgG3 was a functionally enhanced alternative to [225Ac]hu11B6-IgG1 but offered no improvement of therapeutic efficacy. Progression-free survival was slightly increased with a single high activity compared to fractionated activity. Tumor-free animals succumbing after treatment revealed no evidence of treatment-associated toxicity. In addition to up-regulation of canonical aggressive prostate cancer genes, such as MMP7, ETV1, NTS, and SCHLAP1, we also noted a significant decrease in both KLK3 (prostate-specific antigen ) and FOLH1 (prostate-specific membrane antigen) but not in AR and KLK2, demonstrating efficacy of sequential [225Ac]hu11B6 in a mouse model.

Do different bariatric surgical procedures influence plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2, -7, and -9 among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgery is an efficient strategy for body weight and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management. Abnormal lipid deposition in visceral organs, especially the pancreas and liver, might cause beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling allows adipose expansion, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play essential roles in ECM construction. MMP-2 and MMP-9 are the substrates of MMP-7. Different studies have reported that MMP-2, -7, and -9 increase in patients with obesity and metabolic syndromes or T2DM and are considered biomarkers in obesity and hyperglycemia patients.

AIM

To prospectively investigate whether MMP-2, MMP-7, and MMP-9 differ after two bariatric surgeries: Gastric bypass (GB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

METHODS

We performed GB in 23 and SG in 19 obese patients with T2DM. We measured body weight, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide, homeostasis model assessments of insulin resistance, and MMP-2, MMP-7, and MMP-9 levels at baseline and at 3, 12, and 24 mo post-operation.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients aged 44.7 ± 9.7 years underwent GB, and 19 patients aged 40.1 ± 9.1 years underwent SG. In the GB group, BMI decreased from 30.3 ± 3.4 to 24.4 ± 2.4 kg/m2, HbA1c decreased from 9.2% ± 1.5% to 6.7% ± 1.4%, and FBS decreased from 171.6 ± 65.0 mg/dL to 117.7 ± 37.5 mg/dL 2 years post-operation (P < 0.001). However, the MMP-2, MMP-7, and MMP-9 levels pre- and post-GB were similar even 2 years post-operation (P = 0.107, 0.258, and 0.466, respectively). The SG group revealed similar results: BMI decreased from 36.2 ± 5.1 to 26.9 ± 4.7 kg/m2, HbA1c decreased from 7.9% ± 1.7% to 5.8% ± 0.6%, and FBS decreased from 138.3 ± 55.6 mg/dL to 95.1 ± 3.1 mg/dL (P < 0.001). The serum MMP-2, -7, and -9 levels pre- and post-SG were not different (P = 0.083, 0.869, and 0.1, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Improvements in obesity and T2DM induced by bariatric surgery might be the result of MMP-2, -7, or -9 independent pathways.

Novel molecular discovery of promising amidine-based thiazole analogues as potent dual Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and 9 inhibitors: Anticancer activity data with prominent cell cycle arrest and DNA fragmentation analysis effects

Thiazole derivatives are known to possess various biological activities such as antiparasitic, antifungal, antimicrobial and antiproliferative activities. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important protease target involved in tumor progression including angiogenesis, tissue invasion, and migration. Therefore, MMPs have also been reported as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in many types of cancer. Herein, new aryl thiazoles were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer effects on a panel of cancer cell lines including the invasive MDA-MB-231 line. Some of these compounds showed IC₅₀ values in the submicromolar range in anti-proliferative assays. In order to examine the relationship between their anticancer activity and MMPs targets, the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on MMP-2 and 9. That data obtained revealed that most of these compounds were potent dual MMP-2/9 inhibitors at nanomolar concentrations. Among these, 2-(1-(2-(2-((E)-4-iodobenzylidene)hydrazineyl)-4-methylthiazol-5-yl)ethylidene)hydrazine-1-carboximidamide (4a) was the most potent non-selective dual MMP-2/9 inhibitor with inhibitory concentrations of 56 and 38 nM respectively. When compound 4a was tested in an MDA-MB-231, HCT-116, MCF-7 model, it effectively inhibited tumor growth, strongly induced cancer cell apoptosis, inhibit cell migration, and suppressed cell cycle progression leading to DNA fragmentation. Taken together, the results of our studies indicate that the newly discovered thiazole-based MMP-2/9 inhibitors have significant potential for anticancer treatment.

Laminin 332 in cancer: When the extracellular matrix turns signals from cell anchorage to cell movement

Laminin 332 is crucial in the biology of epithelia. This large extracellular matrix protein consists of the heterotrimeric assembly of three subunits - α3, β3, and γ2 - and its multifunctionality relies on a number of extracellular proteolytic processing events. Laminin 332 is central to normal epithelium homeostasis by sustaining cell adhesion, polarity, proliferation, and differentiation. It also supports a major function in epithelial tissue formation, repair, and regeneration by buttressing cell migration and survival and basement membrane assembly. Interest in this protein increased after the discovery that its expression is perturbed in tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and the tumor microenvironment. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the established involvement of the laminin 332 γ2 chain in tumor invasiveness and discusses the role of its α3 and β3 subunits.