Project description:Significant airway remodelling is a major component of the increased morbidity and mortality observed in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. These airways feature ongoing leukocytic inflammation and unrelenting bacterial infection. In contrast to acute bacterial pneumonia, CF infection is not cleared efficiently and the ensuing inflammatory response causes tissue damage. This structural damage is mainly a result of free proteolytic activity released by infiltrated neutrophils and macrophages. Major proteases in this disease are serine and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). While the role of serine proteases, such as elastase, has been characterised in detail, there is emerging evidence that MMPs could play a key role in the pathogenesis of CF lung disease. This review summarises studies linking MMPs with CF lung disease and discusses the potential value of MMPs as future therapeutic targets in CF and other chronic lung diseases.
Project description:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become globally intractable. MMPs play a key role in many inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the role of MMPs in IBD. In this study, IBD expression profiles were screened from public Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that IBD-related specific functions were associated with immune pathways. Five MMPS-related disease markers, namely MMP-9, CD160, PTGDS, SLC26A8, and TLR5, were selected by machine learning and the correlation between each marker and immune cells was evaluated. We then induced colitis in C57 mice using sodium dextran sulfate and validated model construction through HE staining of the mouse colon. WB and immunofluorescence experiments confirmed that the expression levels of MMP-9, PTGDS, SLC26A8, and CD160 in colitis were significantly increased, whereas that of TLR5 were decreased. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that MMPs regulate intestinal inflammation and immunity mainly through CD8 in colitis. Our findings reveal that MMPs play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and are related to the infiltration of immune cells, suggesting that MMPs may promote the development of IBD by activating immune infiltration and the immune response. This study provides insights for further studies on the occurrence and development of IBD.
Project description:During angiogenesis, new vessels emerge from existing endothelial lined vessels to promote the degradation of the vascular basement membrane and remodel the extracellular matrix (ECM), followed by endothelial cell migration, and proliferation and the new generation of matrix components. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) participate in the disruption, tumor neovascularization, and subsequent metastasis while tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) downregulate the activity of these MMPs. Then, the angiogenic response can be directly or indirectly mediated by MMPs through the modulation of the balance between pro- and anti-angiogenic factors. This review analyzes recent knowledge on MMPs and their participation in angiogenesis.
Project description:Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that degrade proteins of the extracellular matrix and the basement membrane. Thus, these enzymes regulate airway remodeling, which is a major pathological feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Furthermore, proteolytic destruction in the lungs may lead to loss of elastin and the development of emphysema, which is associated with poor lung function in COPD patients. In this literature review, we describe and appraise evidence from the recent literature regarding the role of different MMPs in COPD, as well as how their activity is regulated by specific tissue inhibitors. Considering the importance of MMPs in COPD pathogenesis, we also discuss MMPs as potential targets for therapeutic intervention in COPD and present evidence from recent clinical trials in this regard.
Project description:Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), especially neovascular AMD with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. Although matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in pathological ocular angiogenesis, including CNV, the cellular origin of MMPs in AMD remains unknown. The present study investigated the role of microglial MMPs in CNV. MMP activities were analyzed by gelatin zymography in aqueous humor samples from patients with CNV and laser-induced CNV mice. Active MMP-9 was increased in the aqueous humor samples from neovascular AMD patients compared with control subjects. In the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid from CNV mice, active MMP-9 increased, beginning 1 h post-CNV induction, and remained upregulated until Day 7. In RPE/choroid from CNV mice, active MMP-9 was suppressed by minocycline, a known microglial inhibitor, at 6 h and 1-day post-CNV induction. Flow cytometry revealed that the proportion of activated microglia increased very early, beginning at 1 h post-CNV induction, and was maintained until Day 7. Similarly, immunohistochemistry revealed increased microglial activation and MMP-9 expression on CNV lesions at 6 h and 1-day post-CNV induction. SB-3CT, an MMP inhibitor, decreased vascular leakage and lesion size in laser-induced CNV mice. These findings indicated nearly immediate recruitment of activated microglia and very early MMP-9 activation in the RPE/choroid. The present study newly identified a potential role for early microglial MMP-9 expression in CNV, and furthermore that modulating microglial MMP expression is a novel putative therapeutic for CNV.
Project description:Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are an important class of enzymes in the body that function through the extracellular matrix (ECM). They are involved in diverse pathophysiological processes, such as tumor invasion and metastasis, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, periodontal disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, and diseases of the central nervous system. MMPs participate in the occurrence and development of numerous cancers and are closely related to immunity. In the present study, we review the immunomodulatory role of MMPs in colitis-associated cancer (CAC) and discuss relevant clinical applications. We analyze more than 300 pharmacological studies retrieved from PubMed and the Web of Science, related to MMPs, cancer, colitis, CAC, and immunomodulation. Key MMPs that interfere with pathological processes in CAC such as MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-12, and MMP-13, as well as their corresponding mechanisms are elaborated. MMPs are involved in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, angiogenesis, ECM remodeling, and the inflammatory response in CAC. They also affect the immune system by modulating differentiation and immune activity of immune cells, recruitment of macrophages, and recruitment of neutrophils. Herein we describe the immunomodulatory role of MMPs in CAC to facilitate treatment of this special type of colon cancer, which is preceded by detectable inflammatory bowel disease in clinical populations.
Project description:IntroductionAlzheimer's disease (AD) can be characterised in vivo by biomarkers reflecting amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathology. However, there is a need for biomarkers reflecting additional pathological pathways. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have recently been highlighted as candidate biomarkers for sex-specific mechanisms and progression in AD.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we investigated nine MMPs and four tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the cerebrospinal fluid of 256 memory clinic patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to AD and 100 cognitively unimpaired age-matched controls. We studied group differences in MMP/TIMP levels and examined the associations with established markers of Aβ and tau pathology as well as disease progression. Further, we studied sex-specific interactions.ResultsMMP-10 and TIMP-2 levels differed significantly between the memory clinic patients and the cognitively unimpaired controls. Furthermore, MMP- and TIMP-levels were generally strongly associated with tau biomarkers, whereas only MMP-3 and TIMP-4 were associated with Aβ biomarkers; these associations were sex-specific. In terms of progression, we found a trend towards higher MMP-10 at baseline predicting more cognitive and functional decline over time exclusively in women.ConclusionOur results support the use of MMPs/TIMPs as markers of sex differences and progression in AD. Our findings show sex-specific effects of MMP-3 and TIMP-4 on amyloid pathology. Further, this study highlights that the sex-specific effects of MMP-10 on cognitive and functional decline should be studied further if MMP-10 is to be used as a prognostic biomarker for AD.
Project description:Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Most cardiovascular deaths are caused by ischaemic heart diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI). Hereby atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries often precedes disease manifestation. Since tissue remodelling plays an important role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis as well as in outcome after MI, regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as the major ECM-degrading enzymes with diverse other functions is crucial. Here, we provide an overview of the expression profiles of MMPs in coronary artery and left ventricular tissue using publicly available data from whole tissue to single-cell resolution. To approach an association between MMP expression and the development and outcome of CVDs, we further review studies investigating polymorphisms in MMP genes since polymorphisms are known to have an impact on gene expression. This review therefore aims to shed light on the role of MMPs in atherosclerosis and MI by summarizing current knowledge from publically available datasets, human studies, and analyses of polymorphisms up to preclinical and clinical trials of pharmacological MMP inhibition.
Project description:The biological functions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) extend beyond extracellular matrix degradation. Non-proteolytic activities of MMPs are just beginning to be understood. Herein, we evaluated the role of proMMPs in cell migration. Employing a Transwell chamber migration assay, we demonstrated that transfection of COS-1 cells with various proMMP cDNAs resulted in enhancement of cell migration. Latent MMP-2 and MMP-9 enhanced cell migration to a greater extent than latent MMP-1, -3, -11 and -28. To examine if proteolytic activity is required for MMP-enhanced cell migration, three experimental approaches, including fluorogenic substrate degradation assay, transfection of cells with catalytically inactive mutant MMP cDNAs, and addition of hydroxamic acid-derived MMP inhibitors, were employed. We demonstrated that the proteolytic activities of MMPs are not required for MMP-induced cell migration. To explore the mechanism underlying MMP-enhanced cell migration, structure-function relationship of MMP-9 on cell migration was evaluated. By using a domain swapping approach, we demonstrated that the hemopexin domain of proMMP-9 plays an important role in cell migration when examined by a transwell chamber assay and by a phagokinetic migration assay. TIMP-1, which interacts with the hemopexin domain of proMMP-9, inhibited cell migration, whereas TIMP-2 had no effect. Employing small molecular inhibitors, MAPK and PI3K pathways were found to be involved in MMP-9-mediated cell migration. In conclusion, we demonstrated that MMPs utilize a non-proteolytic mechanism to enhance epithelial cell migration. We propose that hemopexin homodimer formation is required for the full cell migratory function of proMMP-9.
Project description:Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes that decompose extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. MMPs are thought to play important roles in cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, migration, apoptosis, and host defense. MMPs are distributed in almost all intraocular tissues and are involved in physiological and pathological mechanisms of the eye. MMPs are also associated with glaucoma, a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the eyes. MMP activity affects intraocular pressure control and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells, which are the pathological mechanisms of glaucoma. It also affects the risk of glaucoma development based on genetic pleomorphism. In addition, MMPs may affect the treatment outcomes of glaucoma, including the success rate of surgical treatment and side effects on the ocular surface due to glaucoma medications. This review discusses the various relationships between MMP and glaucoma.