title: ADAMTS proteases and cancer.
abstract: ADAMTSs (A disintegrin and metalloprotease domains with thrombospondins motifs) are complex extracellular proteases that have been related to both oncogenic and tumor-protective functions. These enzymes can be secreted by cancer and stromal cells and may contribute to modify the tumor microenvironment by multiple mechanisms. Thus, ADAMTSs can cleave or interact with a wide range of extracellular matrix components or regulatory factors, and therefore affect cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and angiogenesis. The balance of protumor versus antitumor effects of ADAMTSs may depend on the nature of their substrates or interacting-partners upon secretion from the cell. Moreover, different ADAMTS genes have been found overexpressed, mutated or epigenetically silenced in tumors from different origins, suggesting the direct impact of these metalloproteases in cancer development. However, despite the important advances on the tumor biology of ADAMTSs in recent years, more mechanistic and functional studies are necessary to fully understand how these proteases can influence tumor microenvironment to potentiate cancer growth or to induce tumor regression. This review outlines current and emerging connections between ADAMTSs and cancer.
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, IUOPA, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Electronic address: santical@uniovi.es.
authors: Santiago
authors: S
authors: Cal
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, IUOPA, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: López-Otín
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins
keywords: Disintegrin; Metalloprotease; Thrombospondin; Tumor microenvironment; Tumorigenesis