[The role of proteolytic enzymes in skin neoplasm progression and development of metastasis].

Proteases are reported to play an essential role in the proliferative, invasive, and metastatic potential of malignant tumor cells. Metastasis is characterized by a complex series of interactions between tumor cells and their environment. Tumor expansion and invasion are associated with the destruction of normal tissues around the tumor by a variety of classes of tumor and host-derived extracelullar matrix-degrading proteinases. Increased levels of the major lysosomal proteinases cathespin B, D, L, metalloproteinases and plasminogen activators, are correlated with tumor cell invasion and metastasis in human melanoma and other skin tumors, breast and colorectal cancer.