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. 2023 Mar 13;24(6):5463.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24065463.

Changes in the Extracellular Matrix in Endometrial and Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review

Tjaša Padežnik  1 , Anja Oleksy  1 , Andrej Cokan  1 , Iztok Takač  1   2 , Monika Sobočan  1   2   3
Affiliations

Changes in the Extracellular Matrix in Endometrial and Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review

Tjaša Padežnik et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Endometrial and cervical cancers are the two most common gynaecological malignancies and among the leading causes of death worldwide. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of the cellular microenvironment and plays an important role in developing and regulating normal tissues and homeostasis. The pathological dynamics of the ECM contribute to several different processes such as endometriosis, infertility, cancer, and metastasis. Identifying changes in components of ECM is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of cancer development and its progression. We performed a systematic analysis of publications on the topic of changes in the extracellular matrix in cervical and endometrial cancer. The findings of this systematic review show that matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play an important role impacting tumour growth in both types of cancer. MMPs degrade various specific substrates (collagen, elastin, fibronectin, aggrecan, fibulin, laminin, tenascin, vitronectin, versican, nidogen) and play a crucial role in the basal membrane degradation and ECM components. Similar types of MMPs were found to be increased in both cancers, namely, MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-11. Elevated concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were correlated with the FIGO stage and are associated with poor prognosis in endometrial cancer, whereas in cervical cancer, elevated concentrations of MMP-9 have been associated with a better outcome. Elevated ADAMTS levels were found in cervical cancer tissues. Elevated disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) levels were also found in endometrial cancer, but their role is still unclear. Following these findings, this review reports on tissue inhibitors of ECM enzymes, MMPs, and ADAMTS. The present review demonstrates changes in the extracellular matrix in cervical and endometrial cancers and compared their effect on cancer development, progression, and patient prognosis.

Keywords: cervical cancer; endometrial cancer; extracellular matrix.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Search process for review of changes of extracellular matrix in cervical and endometrial cancer.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main mechanisms of action of metalloproteinases, ADAMTSs and TIMPs in extracellular matrix. Abbreviations: ECM, extracellular matrix; MMP, metalloproteinase; TIMP, The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases; ADAMTS, A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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