Nanotechnology and Matrix Metalloproteinases in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. This great mortality is due to its late diagnosis when the disease is already at advanced stages. Although the efforts made to develop more effective treatments, around 90% of cancer deaths are due to metastasis that confers a systemic character to the disease. Likewise, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases that participate in all the events of the metastatic process. MMPs’ augmented concentrations and an increased enzymatic activity have been considered bad prognosis markers of the disease. Therefore, synthetic inhibitors have been created to block MMPs’ enzymatic activity. However, they have been ineffective in addition to causing considerable side effects. On the other hand, nanotechnology offers the opportunity to formulate therapeutic agents that can act directly on a target cell, avoiding side effects and improving the diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment of cancer. The goal of the present review is to discuss novel nanotechnological strategies in which MMPs are used with theranostic purposes and as therapeutic targets to control cancer progression.

Comprehensive analysis of Major depression Related gene Signature for predicting prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

“…In addition, the role of Mmp-9 in promoting tumor metastasis has been revealed [35] . The increase of MMPs expression and enzyme activity is related to the invasiveness and psychological stress of different types of cancer [36] , which has been found to be a prognostic marker and a target of new therapeutic strategies [37] . More importantly, we found that LCN2 is associated with most neuropeptides.…”

Hypoxic Effects on Matrix Metalloproteinases’ Expression in the Tumor Microenvironment and Therapeutic Perspectives

“…In addition, nanoplatforms can be designed with theranostic purposes to localize the tumor, directing at the same time several treatments to the neoplastic tissue and follow-up treatment response. In this regard, MMPs can be employed for diagnosing and monitoring cancer progression using nanobiosensors and imaging nanotechniques that depend on MMPs' enzymatic activity [149]. They can also direct and activate nanosystems in the tumor tissue and can be part of the therapy included in the nanocarrier.…”

Matrix Metalloproteinases and Stress Hormones in Lung Cancer Progression

“…Furthermore, the construction of InP/ZnSe/ZnS//ZnSQDs probes has proven to give the system major stability in aqueous solutions. In addition, MMPs can be directly visualized and targeted in lung cancer tissue with the use of nanotheranostic platforms conjugated with peptides degradable by these enzymes [ 10 ]. Moreover, nanoprobes containing MMPs' detection systems can be coated with cell membranes, for instance, red blood cell membranes or cancer cell membranes (CCMs), to avoid the clearance of nanocarriers by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) [ 41 ].…”

“…MMPs participate throughout the whole metastatic cascade due to their capacity to modify the ECM and basement membranes and activate and release chemokines, growth factors, cytokines, adhesion, and cytoskeletal molecules [ 9 ]. The increase of several MMPs' expression and enzymatic activity, such as MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-10, and MMP-14, correlates with the aggressiveness of different types of cancer, which leads to consider them as prognostic markers and targets of new therapeutic strategies [ 10 ]. Likewise, it is worth remarking that some MMPs have protective effects against cancer progression, for instance, MMP-12 [ 3 ].…”