# Advances in Extracellular Matrix Metalloproteinases: Implications for Renal Cell Carcinoma Pathophysiology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics

## TL;DR

This review explores how matrix metalloproteinases affect kidney cancer development, offering insights into their role in diagnosis and treatment.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the novel potential of MMP2, MMP7, and MMP9 as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in renal cell carcinoma.

## Key findings

- Higher levels of MMP2, MMP7, and MMP9 correlate with aggressive tumor behavior and poor survival in RCC.
- ECM remodeling in the tumor microenvironment promotes cancer progression by altering cell interactions.
- MMPs show promise as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for RCC.

## Abstract

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common tumor that heavily depends on extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, an essential process involved not only in normal tissue homeostasis but also in malignant growth. This article reviews the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs, zinc-dependent endopeptidases) in matrix degradation and ECM reorganization in the setting of RCC. We focus on the specific role of MMP2, MMP7, and MMP9 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and major subtypes of RCC. Higher levels of these MMPs are associated with high-grade tumors, increased risk of metastasis, and poorer patient survival rates, indicating that they may have value as prognostic markers. This review also discusses how ECM composition and structure are altered in the tumor microenvironment (TME), thereby preventing cell interactions and promoting cancer growth. Finally, it compiles the existing studies to anticipate a future era in which MMPs could serve as effective prognostic biomarkers and potential treatment targets for RCC, with implications for improving diagnostic and therapeutic interventions targeting ECM remodeling to suppress cancer progression.