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MMPs in the central nervous system: where the good guys go bad

Smriti M Agrawal1, Lorraine Lau, V Wee Yong

  • 1Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|July 25, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate brain development and function. While beneficial in healthy brains, their overactivity in disease suggests MMP inhibitors may aid neurological injury treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are crucial enzymes in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • MMPs play roles in CNS development, adult physiology, and neurological diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the dual role of MMPs in the CNS.
  • To highlight MMPs' involvement in neurogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, and synaptic plasticity.
  • To discuss the therapeutic potential of MMP modulation in neurological disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on MMPs in the CNS.

Main Results:

  • MMPs are essential for neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis during CNS development.
  • In healthy adults, MMPs support synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.
  • Aberrant MMP upregulation in neurological conditions contributes to pathology.

Conclusions:

  • MMPs exhibit a context-dependent role in the CNS, acting as both beneficial and detrimental factors.
  • Targeting MMPs, particularly with inhibitors early after CNS injury, may offer therapeutic benefits.

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