Matrix metalloproteinase-9 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of malignant CD5+ B lymphocytes (CLL cells) in the peripheral blood, and their progressive infiltration in lymphoid organs. MMP-9 plays an important role in cell migration and survival, contributes to CLL pathogenesis by proteolytic and non-proteolytic mechanisms and may constitutive a therapeutic target. We used Affimetrix microarray technology to characterize the global gene expression profile of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells upon MMP-9 transfection. The aim was to establish whether MMP-9 regulates gene expression and to identify new therapeutic targets in CLL. MEC-1 cells (CLL-derived) were genetically modified using a GFP lentiviral vector with (MMP-9 cells) or without (Mock cells) a proMMP-9 DNA construct; upon 2 h starvation, total RNA was extracted and used for hybridization