ABSTRACT Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is a tightly controlled event that requires a proper balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors. Since aberrant MMP activity is associated with developmental defects and cancer progression, the presence of MMP inhibitors is crucial during these processes to ensure controlled cell migration. Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) is a novel MMP inhibitor that was originally discovered as a tumor suppressor protein due to its ability to decrease invasiveness when re-expressed in tumor-derived cell lines. Not only is RECK important for tumor suppression, but it also plays crucial developmental roles. RECK has been implicated in regulating angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and limb patterning during embryogenesis. Although RECK was first identified as an MMP inhibitor, emerging evidence suggests that it plays an important role in regulating intracellular signaling pathways such as Notch, STAT3, and Wnt7a signaling pathways.
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