Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) as a Cancer Biomarker and MMP-9 Biosensors: Recent Advances
- Sensors (Basel). 2018 Sep 27;18(10):3249. doi: 10.3390/s18103249.
- 1. Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA. [email protected].
- 2. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. [email protected].
As one of the most widely investigated Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-9 is a significant protease which plays vital roles in many biological processes. MMP-9 can cleave many extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to regulate ECM remodeling. It can also cleave many plasma surface proteins to release them from the cell surface. MMP-9 has been widely found to relate to the pathology of cancers, including but not limited to invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Some recent research evaluated the value of MMP-9 as biomarkers to various specific cancers. Besides, recent research of MMP-9 biosensors discovered various novel MMP-9 biosensors to detect this enzyme. In this review, some recent advances in exploring MMP-9 as a biomarker in different cancers are summarized, and recent discoveries of novel MMP-9 biosensors are also presented.