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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1471267
This article is part of the Research Topic Decoding the Epigenetic Landscape: Elucidating Cancer Pathology and Identifying Novel Therapeutic Targets View all 5 articles

Identification and Validation of Matrix Metalloproteinase Hub Genes as Potential Biomarkers for Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM)

Provisionally accepted
Zhongyi Zhang Zhongyi Zhang 1Mei Zhao Mei Zhao 1Zubing Zhou Zubing Zhou 1Xiaodan Ren Xiaodan Ren 1Yunliang He Yunliang He 2*Tao Shen Tao Shen 1*Hongping Zeng Hongping Zeng 3*Kai Li Kai Li 4*Yong Zhang Yong Zhang 1,2*
  • 1 Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
  • 2 Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4 Sichuan Institute of Tourism College of Great Health Industry, Chengdu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) development and progression is unclear so far. This comprehensive study delved into the intricate role of MMPs in SKCM development and progression.Methods: RT-qPCR, bisulfite sequencing, and WES analyzed MMP gene expression, promoter methylation, and mutations in SKCM cell lines. TCGA datasets validated findings. DrugBank and molecular docking identified potential regulatory drugs, and cell line experiments confirmed the role of key MMP genes in tumorigenesis.Results: Our findings unveiled significant up-regulation of MMP9, MMP12, MMP14, and MMP16, coupled with hypomethylation of their promoters in SKCM cell lines, implicating their involvement in disease progression. Mutational analysis highlighted a low frequency of mutations in these genes, indicating less involvement of mutations in the expression regulatory mechanisms. Prognostic assessments showcased a significant correlation between elevated expression of these genes and poor overall survival (OS) in SKCM patients. Additionally, functional experiments involving gene silencing revealed a potential impact on cellular proliferation, further emphasizing the significance of MMP9, MMP12, MMP14, and MMP16 in SKCM pathobiology.This study identifies Estradiol and Calcitriol as potential drugs for modulating MMP expression in SKCM, highlighting MMP9, MMP12, MMP14, and MMP16 as key diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

    Keywords: biomarker, diagnostic, MMPs, Multi-scale methodology, SKCM

    Received: 27 Jul 2024; Accepted: 01 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Zhao, Zhou, Ren, He, Shen, Zeng, Li and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yunliang He, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    Tao Shen, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
    Hongping Zeng, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan Province, China
    Kai Li, Sichuan Institute of Tourism College of Great Health Industry, Chengdu, China
    Yong Zhang, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.