Quantitative analysis of the impact of short-time high hydrostatic pressure on bone tumor-associated proteases

In orthopedic surgery, sterilization of bone used for reconstruction of osteoarticular defects caused by malignant tumors is carried out in various ways. At present, to devitalize tumor-bearing osteochondral segments, extracorporeal irradiation or autoclaving is mainly used, although both methods have substantial disadvantages, leading to a significant loss of biomechanical and biological integrity of the bone. As an alternative approach, a new technology to achieve bone sterilization, the high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment of bone, has been suggested, which is currently being preclinically tested. This novel technique leads to the inactivation of tumor cells without impairing biomechanical properties of the bone, cartilage, or tendons. HHP may not only exert an effect on tumor and normal cells present in the bone but also on tumor-associated proteases released by these cells, which are conductive to tumor bone turnover. In order to investigate this, proteolytic key enzymes, e.g. MMP-9, uPA, t-PA, plasmin, trypsin, and thrombin were subjected to HHP