MMP-2 And Wound Healing

Jung-Yu C. Hsu, Robert McKeon, Staci Goussev, Zena Werb, Jung-Uek Lee, Alpa Trivedi, and Linda J. Noble-Haeusslein

Proteolysis is not always a bad thing, according to the results of Hsu et al. In the immediate aftermath of spinal cord injury, inhibition of metalloproteinases (MMPs) can improve recovery, but only if the treatment is limited to the first few days. This pattern suggests that some MMPs have a positive effect during the later stages of wound healing and repair. The authors put the hypothesis to the test, focusing on MMP-2. Mice subjected to moderate spinal cord contusion injury expressed MMP-2 during wound healing, primarily in reactive astrocytes. This expression appeared to be beneficial, because MMP-2 null mice were impaired in locomotor function. MMP-2 null mice also developed a more extensive astrocytic scar in the injured spinal cord. Because scar formation is thought to inhibit the regeneration of injured axons, MMP-2 may act to provide a cellular environment more conducive to wound healing.

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MMP-2 And Wound Healing