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Role of MMPs in malignant melanoma and tumor growth. Melanoma cells secrete MMP-15 and MMP-16 to promote tumor growth. Fibroblasts secrete MMP-2 (also activated by MMP-14, MMP-15, and MMP-16) and MMP-14 to induce tumor growth. In addition to growth initiation, MMP-14 promotes tumor angiogenesis by enhancing the expression of VEGF. Inflammatory cells-derived MMP-9 is involved in tumor development and tumor angiogenesis. MMP-7 produced by melanoma cells can enhance tumor growth.
