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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advanced Ex Vivo Model for Investigating Cancer-Adipose Microenvironment Interaction
Published on: January 26, 2024
The source of matrix-degrading enzymes in human cancer: Problems of research reproducibility and possible solutions
Daniel H Madsen1, Thomas H Bugge2
1Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Abstract:
Matrix degradation is central to tumor pathogenesis. Enzymes that degrade extracellular matrix are abundant in tumors. But which out of the complex mixture of cells that form a tumor produces them? Surprisingly, several hundred studies devoted to this question have provided confusion rather than clarity. Our analysis of these studies identifies likely reasons as to why this may be the case, which has implications for the broader issue of research reproducibility.
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