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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells
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Bone morphogenetic protein-4 induced by NDRG2 expression inhibits MMP-9 activity in breast cancer cells

Soo-Kyung Shon1, Aeyung Kim, Ji Young Kim

  • 1Department of Biological Science and The Research Center for Women's Diseases, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|May 20, 2009
PubMed

Insights

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) suppresses breast cancer metastasis. NDRG2 induces bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4), which inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity and cell migration.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is implicated in cancer progression.
  • Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly MMP-9, are key regulators of cancer cell invasion and metastasis.
  • Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) signaling pathways are involved in various cellular processes, including cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional role of NDRG2 in breast cancer cells.
  • To elucidate the relationship between NDRG2, BMP-4, and MMP-9 in breast cancer metastasis.
  • To determine the therapeutic potential of targeting the NDRG2-BMP-4 axis.

Main Methods:

  • Overexpression of NDRG2 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
  • Analysis of MMP mRNA expression and MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity.
  • BMP-4 induction and neutralization experiments.
  • Assessment of cell migration and invasion capacity.
  • Treatment with recombinant BMP-4 in different breast cancer cell lines.

Main Results:

  • NDRG2 expression significantly inhibited MMP mRNA expression and MMP-9 activity in MDA-MB-231 cells.
  • NDRG2 induced the expression of active BMP-4 in these cells.
  • BMP-4 neutralization rescued MMP-9 expression and migration.
  • Recombinant BMP-4 suppressed MMP-9 activity, migration, and invasion in multiple breast cancer cell lines.

Conclusions:

  • NDRG2-induced BMP-4 plays a critical role in suppressing breast cancer cell metastasis.
  • The NDRG2-BMP-4 pathway inhibits cancer cell invasion primarily through the suppression of MMP-9 activity.
  • Targeting this pathway holds promise for novel breast cancer therapeutic strategies.

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