ADAMTS proteases and cancer.

Abstract

ADAMTSs (A disintegrin and metalloprotease domains with thrombospondins motifs) are complex extracellular proteases that have been related to both oncogenic and tumor-protective functions. These enzymes can be secreted by cancer and stromal cells and may contribute to modify the tumor microenvironment by multiple mechanisms. Thus, ADAMTSs can cleave or interact with a wide range of extracellular matrix components or regulatory factors, and therefore affect cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and angiogenesis. The balance of protumor versus antitumor effects of ADAMTSs may depend on the nature of their substrates or interacting-partners upon secretion from the cell. Moreover, different ADAMTS genes have been found overexpressed, mutated or epigenetically silenced in tumors from different origins, suggesting the direct impact of these metalloproteases in cancer development. However, despite the important advances on the tumor biology of ADAMTSs in recent years, more mechanistic and functional studies are necessary to fully understand how these proteases can influence tumor microenvironment to potentiate cancer growth or to induce tumor regression. This review outlines current and emerging connections between ADAMTSs and cancer.

• Authors: Santiago Cal, Carlos López-Otín
• Journal: Matrix biology : journal of the International Society for Matrix Biology (Matrix Biol) 2015 May-Jul Vol. 44-46 Pg. 77-85 ISSN: 1569-1802 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 25636539 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Chemical References

• Extracellular Matrix Proteins
• ADAM Proteins

Topics

• ADAM Proteins (metabolism)
• Animals
• Extracellular Matrix Proteins (metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Neoplasm Invasiveness
• Neoplasms (enzymology, pathology)
• Tumor Microenvironment