Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP/MMP-14) is a key enzyme involved in degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and various surface-associated proteins that control cell growth, differentiation and survival, plays crucial roles in molecular carcinogenesis, tumor cell growth, invasion, and angiogenesis. We tested the inhibitory effect of antisense MT1-MMP on the ability of metastatic human ovarian carcinoma cell line SW626 in proliferation and invasion. RT-PCR was used to amplify MT1-MMP cDNA fragments with two different restriction sites at its 5'-end. Antisense MT1-MMP cloned in eukaryotic expression vector pMMP14as was transfected into SW626 cells. MT1-MMP protein expression, activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9, changes of cell proliferation, and cell invasion ability were detected by Western blot, optimized gelatin zymography, MTT assay and matrigel in vitro invasion assay, respectively. After 48 h transfection, decreased expression of endogenous MT1-MMP protein was detected in pMMP14as-transfected SW626 cells and showed significantly lower proliferation level when compared with control cells. The activation of proMMP-2 was inhibited markedly, and the mean percentage of invasive cells was 63.30+/-5.80% in pMMP14as-transfected cells, which was less than that (97.60+/-7.50%) in control cells (P<0.05). Both cell proliferation and invasion in SW626 cells were inhibited effectively by antisense MT1-MMP transfection, suggesting that MT1-MMP may be a proper target molecule for anti-invasion therapy for human ovarian cancers.