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Falconer et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2017;3:315-27 Journal of
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2017.40
Cancer Metastasis and Treatment

www.jcmtjournal.com
Topic: How does the prostate cancer microenvironment affect the metastatic Open Access
process and/or treatment outcome?

Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases:

expression, roles in metastatic prostate

cancer progression and opportunities for

drug targeting

Robert A. Falconer, Paul M. Loadman

Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
Correspondence to: Dr. Robert A. Falconer, Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Richmond Road,
Bradford BD7 1DP, UK. E-mail: r.a.falconer1@bradford.ac.uk; Prof. Paul M. Loadman, Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences,
University of Bradford, Richmond Road, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK. E-mail: p.m.loadman@bradford.ac.uk
How to cite this article: Falconer RA, Loadman PM. Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases: expression, roles in metastatic prostate cancer
progression and opportunities for drug targeting. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2017;3:315-27.
ABSTRACT

Article history: The membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs), an important subgroup of
Received: 7 Jun 2017 the wider MMP family, demonstrate widespread expression in multiple tumor types, and
First Decision: 15 Jun 2017 play key roles in cancer growth, migration, invasion and metastasis. Despite a large body
Revised: 18 Oct 2017 of published research, relatively little information exists regarding evidence for MT-MMP
Accepted: 26 Oct 2017 expression and function in metastatic prostate cancer. This review provides an appraisal of
Published: 12 Dec 2017 the literature describing gene and protein expression in prostate cancer cells and clinical
tissue, summarises the evidence for roles in prostate cancer progression, and examines
Key words: the data relating to MT-MMP function in the development of bone metastases. Finally, the
Matrix metalloproteinase, therapeutic potential of targeting MT-MMPs is considered. While MT-MMP inhibition
membrane-type, presents a significant challenge, utilisation of MT-MMP expression and proteolytic capacity
metastasis, in prostate tumors is an attractive drug development opportunity.
prostate cancer,
microenvironment

INTRODUCTION and prognostic biomarkers for many types and stages
[1]
of cancer . Despite their potential as therapeutic
Several decades of research have established the targets, however, a clinically useful agent has yet to
matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as key players in materialise, despite several MMP inhibitors having
[2]
the progression of cancer, largely through alterations been developed and evaluated in clinical trials . More
observed in the tumor microenvironment. Indeed, recently, attention has turned to the potential utility of
MMPs have been considered as potential diagnostic MMPs as activators of targeted prodrug therapies [3-5] .

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