Expression of MMPS, MT-MMP, and TIMPs in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: Correlations with tumor invasion and metastasis

Abstract

These results suggest that tumor progression is dependent on the ability of tumor cells to degrade ECMs, while the metastasis of tumors is regulated by many types of MMPs, and the overproduction of MMPs therefore appears to be more important for metastasis than the production of TIMPs in vivo.