Matrix metalloproteinase protein inhibitors: highlighting a new beginning for metalloproteinases in medicine

Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinase protein inhibitors: highlighting a new beginning for metalloproteinases in medicine Barbara J Boucher The Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UKThe review by Mohan et al1 is interesting because increased activity of various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), increasing the severity of tissue damage, is found in many different disease processes. To reduce tissue-damaging overactivity of these tissue remodeling enzymes, one can reduce MMP secretion, or increase the secretion of tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs); developing therapeutic agents, or boosting natural tissue MMP inhibitors, is therefore an important and worthwhile project. However, this review does not mention vitamin D which is essential for bone health and is known to regulate bone growth through MMP modulation,2 and increasingly reported as suppressing the overactivity of certain MMPs, especially MMP-2 and MMP-9, in many pathological disorders (although vitamin A can also modulate some MMPs). View the original paper by Mohan and colleagues.