Identification of Potential Antibody Epitopes in MMP-15

Monoclonal antibody therapy is a well-established cancer treatment paradigm that often targets cancers-pecific cell surface proteins. Matrix Metalloproteinase 15 (MMP-15) is a surface protein implicated in metastasis and angiogenesis, however it is not well characterized. Here we use bioinformatics tools to identify epitopes for drug or diagnostic targeting and elucidate features of this potentially important protein in metastatic processes. We identified conserved regions in MMP-15 as well as unique, variable peptide regions compared to other Membrane Type MMPs (MT-MMP). Conservation of catalytic and hemopexin domains in MMP-15 imply functional importance, however, their similarity to other MT-MMPs discourage use as target epitopes. Our analyses also identified an MMP-15 peptide that was highly divergent from other MMPs, suggesting that it may serve as an appropriate specific epitope for a specific antibody drug. Thus, we were able to elucidate features and potential unique epitopes of MMP-15 for use in further antibody discovery and targeting.