Question

What enzyme, whether produced by cancer cells or the cells surrounding a tumor, helps cancer cells penetrate the extracellular matrix by digesting the extracellular matrix

Answer 1

Collagenase is the enzyme that helps cancer cells penetrate the extracellular matrix by digesting it.

Step-by-step explanation:

The enzyme that helps cancer cells penetrate the extracellular matrix by digesting it is called collagenase.

Collagenase is produced by both cancer cells and the cells surrounding a tumor. It digests collagen, which is a protein found in the extracellular matrix.

By degrading collagen, collagenase allows cancer cells to break through the extracellular matrix and invade nearby tissues.