▁and ▁influen cing ▁cell ▁signal ing ▁and ▁polar ity . ▁D eg rad ation ▁of ▁the ▁bas ement ▁memb rane ▁is ▁an ▁essential ▁step ▁for ▁the ▁met ast atic ▁pro gression ▁of ▁most ▁can cers . ▁ ▁Can cer ▁cell ▁invasion , ▁EC M ▁de grad ation , ▁and ▁met ast asis ▁are ▁highly ▁linked ▁with ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁inv ad op odia , ▁pro tr us ive ▁and ▁ad hes ive ▁structures ▁on ▁cancer ▁cells . ▁Inv ad op odia ▁have ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁concent rate ▁M MP s ▁( including ▁M T 1 - M MP , ▁M MP - 2 , ▁and ▁M MP - 9 ) ▁for ▁local ized ▁release ▁and ▁activation . ▁Furthermore , ▁de grad ation ▁products ▁of ▁M MP ▁activity ▁may ▁further ▁promote ▁inv ad op odia ▁formation ▁and ▁M MP ▁activity . ▁Finally , ▁M MP - 2 ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁M MP s ▁have ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁prote ol yt ically ▁activ ate ▁T G F - β , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁shown ▁to ▁promote ▁ep ith el ial ▁mes en ch ym al ▁transition ▁( E MT ), ▁a ▁key ▁process ▁involved ▁in ▁cancer ▁met ast asis . ▁ ▁Ro le ▁in ▁cell ▁signal ing ▁ ▁M MP ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁the ▁EC M ▁affect s ▁cell ular ▁behavior ▁through ▁changes ▁in ▁integr in - cell ▁binding , ▁by ▁re le asing ▁growth ▁factors ▁har bor ed ▁by ▁the ▁EC M , ▁by ▁generating ▁EC M ▁de grad ation ▁products , ▁and