Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by its capacity to invade adjacent tissues and to metastasize locoregionally. Evidence suggests that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may play a causal role in HNSCC progression. While evaluating the role of MMPs in the invasion process, we made the surprising observation that a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor, (marimastat, BB2516), inhibited the growth in vitro of some HNSCC cell lines. This inhibitory effect was only found in HNSCC cell lines overexpressing epidermal growth factor receptors. The effects of the MMP inhibitor could be reversed by adding exogenous c-erbB ligands, suggesting that the phenomenon may be related to autocrine ligand processing. This hypothesis was supported by the finding that the growth-inhibitory effect of marimastat was directly related to its ability to prevent the release of major c-erbB ligands including transforming growth factor-alpha, betacellulin and heregulin beta1 from HNSCC. Marimastat was also found to potentiate the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that the cleavage of several c-erbB ligands from membrane-anchored precursors requires MMP activity. We conclude that MMP inhibitors could prevent tumor progression not only by inhibiting invasion and angiogenesis, as previously shown, but also by their ability to inhibit autocrine signaling through the c-erbB receptors. Clinical trials to test this hypothesis in HNSCC should be considered.
Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.