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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
11:43
Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration
Published on: April 3, 2015
Matrix metalloproteinases and cellular motility in development and disease
Michael N VanSaun1, Lynn M Matrisian
1Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-6840, USA.
Birth Defects Research. Part C, Embryo Today : Reviews
|April 20, 2006
Summary
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate cell movement by modifying the extracellular matrix and signaling pathways. MMPs influence cell adhesion, migration, and protrusion, with deregulation linked to diseases like cancer and inflammatory conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Cellular motility and extracellular matrix remodeling are crucial for development.
- Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade the extracellular matrix.
- MMPs also cleave non-matrix substrates, regulating signaling pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of MMPs in cellular motility.
- To highlight how MMPs influence various aspects of cell movement.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on MMPs and cell motility.
- Discussion of MMP involvement in specific cellular processes.
Main Results:
- MMPs regulate cell adhesion and cell-matrix interactions.
- MMPs are involved in lamellipodia-directed movement, invadopodial protrusion, and axonal growth cone extension.
- MMPs influence chemotaxis and the release of bioactive signaling molecules.
Conclusions:
- Cellular regulation of MMPs significantly impacts cell motility.
- MMP deregulation is implicated in inflammatory diseases, vascular diseases, bone diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer.
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