title: MMPs, cadherins, and cell proliferation.
abstract: Proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells plays a key role in the development of pathologic processes characterized by intimal thickening. Cadherins are adhesion receptors involved in homophilic cell-cell interactions, but they can also act as signaling molecules that affect cell behavior, including proliferation, migration. and survival. The matrix-degrading metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes that modulate tissue remodeling, proliferation, and migration by degradation of extracellular matrix proteins as well as non-matrix proteins, including cadherins. This review discusses the key links between cadherins and MMPs in cell proliferation. A greater understanding of these processes may aid with the design of new clinical therapeutic approaches for atherosclerosis and restenosis.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. s.j.george@bris.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sarah Jane
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Amrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000502:physiology*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases