Background/aims: Amphoterin is considered as a regulator for the ability of invasion and migration in tumor cells and embryonic neurons through binding to receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), a multiligand cell surface molecule of the immunoglobulin superfamily. As matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9, gelatinase B) has been reported to play a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis, we have examined the relation of RAGE and MMP in human pancreatic cancer.
Methodology: Three representative human pancreatic carcinoma cells were rendered for the study which show different metastatic potential, PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 as the cells with high ability, BxPC-3 as with low. The expression of RAGE was examined by RT-PCR. The expression of MMP-9 protein was examined by Western blotting.
Results: RAGE was strongly expressed in MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 that have high metastatic ability. On the contrary, RAGE was expressed little in BxPC-3 that has low ability. Similarly, expression of MMP-9 showed almost the same tendency. RAGE and MMP-9 are expressed concordant with the metastatic ability of the human pancreatic cancer cells.
Conclusions: Control of these molecules could be a key to regulating the metastatic ability of pancreatic cancer and this may be exploited in targeted therapy of this cancer.