Chen Yuning, Yan Yunyu, Wei Wenbin
Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing key Laboratory of Intraocular Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Lab, Medical Artificial Intelligence Research and Verification Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Blinding Eye Diseases, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
CT Room, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, People's Republic of China.
Eur J Med Res. 2025 Jul 9;30(1):609. doi: 10.1186/s40001-025-02826-7.
As a zinc-containing family of endopeptidases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are not only the main hydrolytic enzymes for the degradation of extracellular matrix and basement membrane, but also the main protein family involved in tumor metastasis. In addition to playing a key role in normal physiological processes, previous studies have shown that MMPs are also important in tumorigenesis and development, including but not limited to promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, angiogenesis, and inducing the expression of adhesion molecules. Therefore, as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target, the relationship between MMPs and carcinogenesis and metastasis has also been widely studied. As the most frequent intraocular malignant tumor in adults, uveal melanoma (UM) poses a great threat to patients' visual acuity and lives. MMPs contribute to UM progression by promoting extracellular matrix degradation, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and metastasis. Clinical and bioinformatic studies have identified MMPs as both prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in UM, supported by their association with tumor characteristics, immune-related phenotypes, and the expression of endogenous inhibitors like TIMPs. This article comprehensively reviews the expression profiles and clinical significance of MMPs in UM, highlighting their roles in tumor progression, metastasis, and potential as therapeutic targets.
作为一个含锌的内肽酶家族，基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）不仅是降解细胞外基质和基底膜的主要水解酶，也是参与肿瘤转移的主要蛋白质家族。除了在正常生理过程中发挥关键作用外，先前的研究表明，MMPs在肿瘤发生和发展中也很重要，包括但不限于促进上皮-间质转化、血管生成以及诱导黏附分子的表达。因此，作为一种潜在的诊断标志物和治疗靶点，MMPs与肿瘤发生和转移之间的关系也得到了广泛研究。葡萄膜黑色素瘤（UM）是成年人中最常见的眼内恶性肿瘤，对患者的视力和生命构成巨大威胁。MMPs通过促进细胞外基质降解、肿瘤微环境重塑和转移来促进UM的进展。临床和生物信息学研究已将MMPs确定为UM的预后生物标志物和潜在治疗靶点，其与肿瘤特征、免疫相关表型以及内源性抑制剂如组织金属蛋白酶抑制剂（TIMPs）的表达之间的关联为此提供了支持。本文全面综述了MMPs在UM中的表达谱及其临床意义，突出了它们在肿瘤进展、转移中的作用以及作为治疗靶点的潜力。
