Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes which degrade the extracellular matrix or components of the basement membrane. They have essential roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. In bladder cancer, elevated MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in tumor tissues, correlated with tumor stage, grade or prognosis, were reported in several studies. Moreover, high levels of serum or...

.......................................................................... 9 Introduction.................................................................... 10 Extracellular matrix........................................................... 10 Interstitial matrix....................................................... 10 Basement membrane................................................... 12 Rol...

 Cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world, and about one-fourth of cerebrovascular deaths are due to ruptured cerebral aneurysms (CA). Hence it is important to find a way to reduce aneurysm formation and its subsequent morbidity and mortality. Proteolytic activity capable of lysing gelatin has been shown to be increased in aneurysm tissue and expressio...

Introduction: The biocompatibility of total hip prostheses has been the subject of debate for three decades, and currently it appears evident that the loosening of technically well inserted prostheses is in part due to cellular responses in periprosthetic connective tissues. Despite of intensive research, the precise biological mechanisms responsible for the loosening of total hip joints have n...

The enzymes that comprise the family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) share the capacity to degrade extracellular matrix compo nents. A large body of evidence indicates that certain members of this metalloproteinase gene family play critical roles in determining the malignant phenotype of solid tumors. We previously have derived trans formed cell lines with vastly different metastatic potent...

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of permanent, irreversible, central blindness (scotoma in the central visual field that makes reading and writing impossible, stereoscopic vision, recognition of colors and details) in patients over the age of 50 years in European and North America countries, and an important role is attributed to disorders in the regulation of the ext...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the key enzymes responsible for matrix degradation, are derived from polymorphonuclear leukocytes during the early stages of periodontitis. The aim of this study was planned to determine the levels of GCF (gingival crevicular fluid) matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) patients with periodontitis and in healthy controls. Levels of ...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), play an important role as mediators of tissue remodeling under physiological and pathological conditions.1 Recently, a number of contributions have shown that in addition to chronic remodeling reactions, MMPs are involved in acute biological reactions associated with discrete cell ...

BACKGROUND Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are one of the major classes of proteolytic enzymes involved in tumor invasion and metastasis and are inhibited by naturally occurring tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). {AU Query: Please verify that corrections made to previous sentence did not alter intended meaning}. In this study, we examined the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, membrane-...

Objective(s): It is known that extremely low frequency-pulsed electromagnetic fields (ELF-PEMF) influence multiple cellular and molecular processes. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have a significant part in the emergence and pathophysiology of several ocular disorders, such as neovascularization. This study assessed the impact of ELF-PEMF on the proangiogenic features of RPE cells. Mate...