Invitro inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in human breast cancer cells

Luke A. Stetzik, The College of Wooster

Abstract

Among the many hallmarks by which cancer is defined is the ability for a tumor to spread to new areas. The spread of cancer occurs by a process known as metastasis and invasion. In this process the basement membrane proteins responsible for cell-to-cell adhesion are degraded by a family of proteolytic enzymes, called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is one of the most abundantly produced MMPs in metastatic cancer cells.The relationship between metastasis and MMP-9 expression makes the inhibition of MMP-9 the focus of much research on metastasis. One focus in this area of research is the use of small molecules to inhibit MMP-9 secretion. Small molecules known as antioxidant poly-phenolic flavanoids have been shown to significantly inhibit the expression and activity of MMP-9, in many types of cancer cells invitro. The goal of this study is to determine if an invitro treatment of poly-phenolic flavanoid compounds EGCG, EGC, and ECG can reduce secretion of MMP-9 in human breast cancer cells. In this study the secretion of MMP-9 was measured using gelatin zymography.The zymography data generated in this study suggests a variety of inhibitory patterns that generally reflect concentration dependent inhibition of MMP-9 secretion in invitro cultures of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-435).