Supramolecular Peptide/Surface Assembly for Monitoring Proteinase Activity and Cancer Diagnosis

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are a family of proteolytic enzymes, the expression of which in a key step of tumor progression has recently been better defined. The overexpression of one or more MMPs is thus common among malignant tumors. It may characterize tumor progression and help predict its response to chemotherapy. Consequently, the development of a device for measuring MMP activities is an important challenge for diagnosis and prognosis. In this study, we describe an innovative supramolecular peptide/surface assembly for screening MMP activities. This sensor was used to discriminate various MMP activities and to distinguish between invasive and noninvasive cancerous cell suspensions. Our results confirm the proof-of-concept of a powerful tool for the determination of the tumor aggressiveness and a technical building block for future development of MMP lab-on-chip devices.