Matriptase-2 inhibits HECV motility and tubule formation in vitro and tumour angiogenesis in vivo

The type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSP) are cell surface proteolytic enzymes that mediate a diverse range of cellular functions, including tumour invasion and metastasis. Matriptase-2 is a member of the TTSP family and has been shown to have a key role in cancer progression. The role of matriptase-2 in angiogenesis and angiogenesis-related cancer progression is currently poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the role of matriptase-2 in tumour angiogenesis. Matriptase-2 was over-expressed in human vascular endothelial cells, HECV, using a mammalian expression plasmid. The altered cells were used in a number of in vitro and in vivo assays designed to investigate the involvement of matriptase-2 in angiogenesis. Over-expression had no significant effect on the growth and adhesion of HECV cells. However, there was a significant reduction in the motility of the cells and their ability to form tubules in an artificial basement membrane ( p