Pender Sylvia L F, MacDonald Thomas T
Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2004 Dec;4(6):546-50. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2004.06.005.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of neutral proteases with the ability to degrade all components of extracellular matrix. To date, more than 24 different human MMPs have been identified. MMP activity is important in diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, periodontal diseases and cancer. Recent data suggest that MMPs are involved in tissue injury and healing in the human gut.
基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs）是一类中性蛋白酶家族，具有降解细胞外基质所有成分的能力。迄今为止，已鉴定出24种以上不同的人类MMPs。MMP活性在关节炎、动脉粥样硬化、牙周疾病和癌症等疾病中很重要。最近的数据表明，MMPs参与人类肠道的组织损伤和愈合。
