Deletion of Modulates the Tumour Extracellular Matrix and Leads to Increased Tumour Growth in the Mouse Mammary Carcinoma Model.

Basement membrane (BM) zone-associated collagen XV (ColXV) has been shown to suppress the malignancy of tumour cells, and its restin domain can inhibit angiogenesis. In human breast cancer, as well as in many other human carcinomas, ColXV is lost from the epithelial BM zone prior to tumour invasion. Here, we addressed the roles of ColXV in breast carcinogenesis using the transgenic mouse mammary carcinoma model.