Human ADAM12 blocking peptide

Background: Cancer tissues consist of cancer cells and stroma, the latter of which dictates cancer tissue microenvironment. We recently reported that the desmoplastic reaction (DR) pattern at the invasive front in colorectal cancer (CRC) is a promising prognostic indicator. However, the molecular mechanisms of DR formation and contribution to patients' prognosis remain unclear. Summary: The tumor tissue microenvironment composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), soluble factors (growth factors/cytokine/cytokine), and stromal cells controls tumor growth and spread. Among stromal cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in development of the cancer tissue microenvironment, and they are responsible for DR formation. CAFs express a disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs), which modulate cancer tissue microenvironmental factors. We isolated CAFs and normal fibroblasts from colon tissues of patients with CRC and characterized them. CAFs showed the increased expression of several ADAM species including ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, and ADAM17, and the expression was further increased on the ECM-coated plates. Our in vitro and in vivo studies using CAFs and CRC cells suggest that ADAM expression is associated with the morphological DR category, and ADAMs may affect cancer malignancy through tumor proliferation in CRC. Key Message: This review summarizes the present knowledge on ADAMs in cancer and describes our recent findings regarding the molecular biological background of DR mainly by focusing on ADAMs.

ADAM12 (A disintegrin and metalloprotease) is one of the candidate genes demonstrating susceptibility to osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ADAM12-S protein and radiographic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and its correlation to several bone and cartilage biomarkers. The ADAM12-S protein was measured in 276 subjects (60% women, aged 32-60 years), including 181 individuals with and 95 without radiographic KOA features. The radiographs were obtained from both tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints. The serum levels of ADAM12-S protein were measured by DELFIA1/AutoDELFIA research kit. The ADAM12-S protein was found in detectable ranges in 43 subjects (16 men), without statistical difference between the two genders. In the whole group, the ADAM12-S was related to radiographic KOA grades in TF (P = 0.004) as well in PF joint (P = 0.003). We also found a correlation between ADAM12-S protein and osteophytes in TF and/or PF joints (P = 0.003). No correlations were found between serum levels of S-CTx-I (C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen) or S-PINP (type I procollagen N-terminal propeptide) and ADAM12-S. Similarly, in the whole group, the ADAM12-S protein was not correlated with U-CTx-II (urinary C-telopeptide fragments of type II collagen); however, in the female group, trend to positive correlation between the investigated biomarkers (P = 0.019) was observed. The ADAM12-S protein could be elevated in some KOA cases, and this elevation correlates with the grades of the disease, mostly owning to development of osteophytes. This finding suggests the possible involvement of the ADAM12-S protein in the pathogenesis of KOA.