Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Tissue Engineering of Tumor Stromal Microenvironment with Application to Cancer Cell Invasion
05:48

Tissue Engineering of Tumor Stromal Microenvironment with Application to Cancer Cell Invasion

Published on: March 18, 2014

Vascular expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (collagenase-3) in basal cell carcinoma

Yukari Hattori1, Kamalakar C Nerusu, Narasimharao Bhagavathula

  • 1Department of Pathology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.

Experimental and Molecular Pathology
|June 5, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is found in blood vessels of basal cell carcinomas and normal skin. Endothelial cells express MMP-13, with expression increasing due to inflammatory signals and 3D collagen.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Dermatology

Background:

  • Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is a collagenase implicated in tissue remodeling.
  • MMP-13's role in tumor vasculature and endothelial cells is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and regulation of MMP-13 in the vasculature of human basal cell carcinomas (BCCs).
  • To determine if endothelial cells express MMP-13 and how its expression is modulated.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry was used to detect MMP-13 in surgical specimens of BCC and normal skin.
  • Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Southern blotting, and Western blotting were employed to assess MMP-13 expression in cultured endothelial cells.
  • Endothelial cells were treated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to study MMP-13 regulation.
  • Endothelial cells were cultured on different collagen matrices.

Main Results:

  • MMP-13 was detected in the vasculature of 17 of 20 human BCCs, while MMP-1 was found in only two.
  • MMP-13 reactivity was also observed in capillaries of normal human skin.
  • Cultured human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells expressed MMP-13 mRNA and protein.
  • MMP-13 expression was upregulated by IL-1alpha, TNF-alpha, and PMA, with IL-1alpha being the most potent inducer.
  • Enzyme expression was further enhanced in endothelial cells grown on 3D collagen lattices compared to collagen films.

Conclusions:

  • Endothelial cells in the skin are a significant source of MMP-13.
  • MMP-13 expression in endothelial cells is upregulated by inflammatory cytokines and growth factors, suggesting a role in angiogenesis and vascular differentiation.
  • These findings highlight MMP-13 as a potential target in conditions involving tumor angiogenesis.

More Related Videos

Fibroblast-Derived 3D Matrix System Applicable to Endothelial Tube Formation Assay07:21

Fibroblast-Derived 3D Matrix System Applicable to Endothelial Tube Formation Assay

Published on: December 26, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM01:23

Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of proteins and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are essential for the migration and proliferation of cells through the dense matrix network, throughout embryonic development, and throughout morphogenesis. The first MMP activity discovered was a collagenase in a tadpole's tail undergoing metamorphosis. The active collagen deposition and modifications lead to the morphogenesis of tadpoles into the adult body.
A...
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina01:05

Type IV Collagen of Basal Lamina

Type IV collagen is a 400 nm long, network-forming collagen that acts as a barrier between the epithelial and endothelial cells. Type IV collagen  forms the backbone of the basement membrane by scaffolding with laminin, entactin, proteoglycans, and fibronectin. Apart from rendering structural support to the basement membrane, it also helps entail signaling potentials necessary for both pathological and physiological functions.
A type IV collagen molecule has six alpha chains which can exist in...