CK2 inhibitor CX4945 inhibits collagen degradation of HaCaT human keratinocyte cells via attenuation of MMP-1 secretion.

Introduction: During skin aging, the extracellular matrix (ECM) concomitantly breaks down. Out of the various protein components that comprise ECM, collagen is the most abundant one. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) is a major collagenase that can degrade collagen. Therefore, the inhibition of MMP-1 may be critical for skin aging prevention. CX4945 is an inhibitor of casein kinase 2 and shows anticancer effects on various types of cancer cells.

Methods And Results: In this report, we investigated the MMP-1-inhibiting effect of CX4945 in HaCaT human keratinocyte cells. We performed zymography assays, Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation assay to investigate the anti-MMP-1 effects of CX4945. CX4945 was found to inhibit collagen degradation via attenuation of the MMP-1 secretion out of HaCaT cells. This activity of CX4945 may be mediated by the induction of MMP-1 ubiquitylation via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. In wound healing cell migration assay, CX4945 also showed suppressive effect on the migration of HaCaT cells. This finding was closely related to the attenuation of CREB transcription factor via the downregulation of ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase as observed in Western blot analysis.

Conclusion: Our report suggests that the inhibitory effects of CX4945 on MMP-1 in epidermal cells may offer a basis for further studying its therapeutic potential as an anti-wrinkle agent.