Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase 4 (MT4-MMP): role and significance in the pathogenesis of tumor growth

Abstract

Neoplasms in general, especially malignant tumors, occu-py the second place in the structure of human morbidity and are one of the main causes of death and disability of the population. With all the variety of light-optical mor-phological features, as well as ultrastructural, biochem-ical, immunological and genetic parameters, the deve-lopment of neoplastic changes in tissues and organs has its own characteristics. The main pathophysiological sign of malignant neoplasms is the loss of dependence on ex-ternal regulators and autonomous growth. Currently, the emergence and spread of malignant cellular transforma-tion in the body is associated with dysregulation of con-trol mechanisms, mainly due to changes in the structural components of genes encoding the synthesis of many signaling molecules that coordinate intercellular and in-tertissue communications. The development of new bi-ological markers of the tumor process is one of the prio-rity tasks of modern molecular medicine, since success in this direction will undoubtedly optimize diagnostics and improve the quality of targeted personalized tumor treatment. Matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors are considered as one of the most promising signaling molecules — biomarkers of the tumor process, because they are involved in almost all stages of the on-set and progression of malignant neoplasms. Of particu-lar interest in the initiation and development of tumors of various localizations is the membrane-type matrix metal-loproteinase 4 (MT4-MMP) or MMP-17 (alternative name), the role of which in the pathogenesis of oncological dis-eases is the subject of this review