Vol.26 No.3（2004 June）：276-280

Matrix Metalloproteinases in Cancer Progression

LI Bing Hui*, HAN Mei¹, WEN Jin Kun¹

（The Fourth Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China; ¹Institute of Basic Medical Science, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China）

Abstract: In addition to the extracellular, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been found recently to process a wide variety of nonmatrix substrates. MMPs are important in the cleavage of a number of growth factors, receptors, angiogenic stimulators and factors that can modulate cellular migration. The cleavage of the nonmatrix substrates by MMPs affects cellular signaling and functions, regulates various cell behaviors with relevance for cancer biology. To better target MMPs for cancer treatment, an appreciation of their many functions is needed.

Key words: matrix metalloproteinases; nonmatrix proteins; cancer; cell behaviors

*Corresponding author, E-mail: wjk@hebmu.edu.cn