It has been established that fragmented hyaluronic acid (HA), but not native high molecular weight HA, can induce angiogenesis, cell proliferation and migration. We have studied the outside-in signal transduction pathways responsible for fragmented HA-mediated cancer cell invasion. In our study, we have studied the effects of CD44 stimulation by ligation with HA upon the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9 as well as urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), its receptor (uPAR) and its inhibitor (PAI-1) and the subsequent induction of invasion of human chondrosarcoma cell line HCS-2/8. Our study indicates that CD44; hyaluronic acid; invasion; MAP kinase; uPA receptor (uPAR) Tumor cell invasion is a complex, multistep process that involves cell adhesion and the controlled degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by tumor cell-associated proteases. 1 Among these proteases, MMPs-2 and -9, also known as gelatinases, 2 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a serine protease that activates plasminogen to plasmin enabling the degradation of the ECM, have a main role in the metastatic proteolytic cascade. 3 Tissue inhibitors of gelatinase activity (e.g., TIMP-2) are involved in the MMP-2 activation process; in concert with membrane type 1-MMP (MT1-MMP) and in the inhibition of gelatinolytic activity. uPA bound to its cell-surface receptor, uPAR, is the principal participant in ECM degradation. 4 Plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAI) also regulate the catalytic activity of PA. Therefore proteolysis, the central step for cancer metastasis, should occur as a result of an imbalance between proteinases and their specific inhibitors. 2 The cellular functions are dependent upon a number of cell surface adhesion proteins and CD44 has been implicated as one such molecule. 5 CD44 has been shown to promote tumor cell adhesion, migration, invasion and angiogenesis, crucial steps in the process of metastasis. CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein known to bind hyaluronic acid (HA) in its extracellular domain. 6 CD44 is known to exist in many different isoforms arising by alternative splicing events. 7 HA is a nonsulfated, linear glycosaminoglycan consisting of repeating unit of (,1-4)-D-glucuronic acid-(,1-3)-N-acethyl-D-glucosamine. 8 Several studies have suggested that high and low molecular weight species of HA exhibit different biologic effects on cells: low molecular weight but not native HA has been shown to stimulate the expression of cytokines, proinflammatory chemokines and cell adhesion molecules (IL-1, TNF-␣ and insulin-like growth factor, inducible NO synthase, metalloelastase, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1) possibly through a mechanism involving the cellular HA receptor, CD44. 9 -17 Fragmented HA can also induce cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. 9,18 The mechanisms through which fragmented HA exerts its biologic functions have been only partially elucidated. There is a growing body of evidence that the CD44-induced signals are dependent on protein kinase C (PKC) activation 1...