The structural basis of matrix metalloproteinase inhibition.

Over the last decade, the potential utility of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitors as novel therapeutic agents for diseases such as arthritis, cancer and multiple sclerosis has lead to an abundance of three-dimensional structural information on this family of enzymes. This review describes the spatial features of the conserved three-dimensional scaffold of the MMPs, discusses enzyme-inhibitor interactions and relates these data to the characteristics of individual MMPs which influence the potency and selectivity of inhibitors.