BACKGROUND

It was conclusively demonstrated that the cell surface glycoprotein CD147 on tumor cells mediates induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by stromal cells in humans. However, for murine models such evidence remains elusive.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To address the impact of CD147 on MMP expression in the murine B16 melanoma model, we consequently stably knocked down CD147 expression in two B16 sublines. The CD147 knockdown remained stable under in vivo conditions as confirmed by immunohistochemistry. However, no differences in MMP-2, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP expression by stromal and tumor cells were detectable in CD147+ and CD147- tumors. Since the tumor microenvironment is a complex system, involving several cell types, the extracellular matrix and plethora soluble factors, we subsequently studied the role of murine CD147 in vitro. Coculture of melanoma cells with different fibroblast cell lines demonstrated that neither CD147+ nor CD147- B16 tumor cells altered the expression of MMP-2 or MMP-9 by the fibroblasts, although we could confirm the susceptibility of these fibroblasts for MMP induction.

CONCLUSIONS

At least for the murine B16 melanoma model, CD147 expression on tumor cells seems not to be crucial for MMP-2, MMP-9 and MT1-MMP induction on tumor-associated stromal cells.