Elastin molecular aging promotes MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell invasiveness

Elastin is a long-lived extracellular matrix protein responsible for the structural integrity and function of tissues. Breast cancer elastosis is a complex phenomenon resulting in both the deposition of elastotic masses and the local production of elastin fragments. In invasive human breast cancers, an increase in elastosis is correlated with severity of the disease and age of the patient. Elastin-derived peptides (EDPs) are a hallmark of aging and are matrikines - matrix fragments having the ability to regulate cell physiology. They are known to promote processes linked to tumor progression, but their effects on breast cancer cells remain unexplored. Our data show that EDPs enhance the invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through the engagement of matrix metalloproteases 14 and 2. We therefore suggest that elastosis and/or an aged stroma could promote breast cancer cell invasiveness.