Metalloproteinases and their inhibitors-diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities in orthopedics.

Authors: Pasternak B, Aspenberg P Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and related enzymes (ADAMs, ADAMTS) and their inhibitors control matrix turnover and function. Recent advances in our understanding of musculoskeletal conditions such as tendinopathy, arthritis, Dupuytren's disease, degenerative disc disease, and bone and soft tissue healing suggest that MMPs have prominant roles. Importantly, MMPs are amenable to inhibition by cheap, safe, and widely available drugs such as the tetracycline antibiotics and the bisphosphonates. This indicates that these MMP inhibitors, if proven effective for any novel indication, may be quickly brought into clinical practice. PMID: 19968600 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Orthopaedica)
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Keloid scarring, but not Dupuytren's contracture, is associated with unexplained carotid atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS: Keloid scarring is a clinical clue to excess atherosclerosis not explained by traditional risk factors. Such patients may benefit from therapy directed at targets related to signalling molecules common to both the process of keloid scarring and atherosclerosis. These findings suggest previously unexplored possibilities for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. The differences between Dupuytren's and keloid scars that may identify such targets are discussed. PMID: 19331810 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Clinical and Investigative Medicine)
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