Indian Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Page: 4-10

Cancer still ranks among the highest causes of death in the world, and the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells are mostly contributed to by the remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). A key process associated with ECM remodelling, angiogenesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and the modulation of the tumor microenvironment involves matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a zinc-requiring endopeptidase. The present review aims to systematically present the current evidence available for the expression, regulation, and clinicopathological significance of MMP-9 in the most prominent human malignancies, including breast, colon, brain, lung, liver, pancreatic, cervical, prostatic, and gastric cancers. High expression of MMP-9 is consistently correlated with the advancement in the stage, metastasis, and an unfavourable prognosis in the above-listed cancers, thus validating its significance as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis. Additionally, the rapid progress in the use of natural compounds, regulators of gene expression, and inhibitors of signaling pathways illustrates promising MMP-9-targeted therapeutic approaches, aiming to alleviate the toxicity associated with the existing broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors in cancer therapeutics.