Expression of Membrane TypeMatrix Metalloproteinases in Common Epithelial Malignant Tumors of the Ovary - Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most malignant genital cancers, with a high mortality rate.
Despite decades of research, the survival rate of ovarian cancer patients is largely unchanged,
and there is a pressing need for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Many researchers have suggested that soluble matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have
remarkably high expression in ovarian cancer tissues, and they are considered to be related to
the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Moreover, some studies
have discovered that the unbalance between MMPs and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases
(TIMPs) are associated with the malignant phenotype of tumors. In spite of this, there is a lack of
information about the expression of membrane type –MMPs (without taking into account MT1-
MMP) in ovarian cancer.
This report shows (using immunohistochemistry) an increase in the expression of MT3- and MT5-
MMPs especially in the most aggressive histological types (comparing with normal and benign
tumors), which could suggest a possible biological role in the development of this pathology