Integrins and metalloproteinases: an efficient collaboration in the invasive process

During the invasive process, tumor cells must move through the extracellula r matrix They have to adhere to the extracellular matrix components; then p roteolyse them and migrate on their fragments; This implicates integrins an d proteinases, namely metalloproteinases. Numerous experiments which had be en performed on various models, namely malignant melanomas proved that inte grins have a major role in the transduction of signals from the outside to the inside of the cells, such signals enhancing the expression of the metal loproteinases or, in the contrary, inhibiting it, The modifications of this expression are dependent of extracellular matrix components and may be ind uced by the linking of specific antibodies to integrins. In some instances, the integrins localized on the tumor cell surface may act as receptors for extracellular matrix proteins and metalloproteinases at once, that may giv e to tumor cells an higher efficiency in the invasive process. Such mechani sms may result in interesting clinical perspectives for the control of meta lloproteinases regulation in pathological processes.