Association of MMP1 gene polymorphisms with breast cancer risk: A narrative review

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Breast cancer is a multifactorial malignancy with different clinicopathological and molecular characteristics. It is the most frequent cancer in women in terms of both incidence and mortality. Matrix metallopeptidase 1 or MMP1 is a zinc‐dependent endopeptidase associated with several physiological processes through the modification of the extracellular matrix and tumor microenvironment. However, previous results did not suggest any concluding remarks on the correlation between MMP1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed database to retrieve relevant articles and extract data from suitable ones. The literature written only in English was selected for this review. RESULTS: A total of 26 articles were included in the present narrative review. From the available studies, it is observed that MMP1 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and found to be correlated with metastasis and invasion. The expression of MMP1 gene is mediated by numerous factors, including polymorphisms which act as a potential risk factor for the progression of breast cancer. To establish the correlation between genetic polymorphisms in MMP1 and the risk of breast cancer, several case‐control studies, as well as genetic analyses, have been carried out in different ethnicities. The association of genetic polymorphisms in MMP1 with the risk and survival of breast cancer in different populations has been reviewed in this study. Moreover, the structural domain of MMP1 and the role of MMP1 in breast cancer metastasis and invasion are also discussed which will help to understand the potential impact of MMP1 as a genetic biomarker. CONCLUSIONS: This review provides an overview of the MMP1 gene polymorphisms in breast cancer. However, we recommend future studies concentrating on combined analysis of multiple SNPs, gene‐gene interactions, and analysis of epigenetics, proteomics, and posttranscriptional modifications that will provide the best outcome.