matrix metalloproteinase
Meaning of matrix metalloproteinase: Because these enzymes can also weaken normal tissue architecture, their activity is implicated in disease processes well beyond their role in ordinary repair.
Definition of matrix metalloproteinase
A matrix metalloproteinase is one of a family of enzymes capable of breaking down proteins that make up the extracellular matrix, the structural network of proteins, including collagen, that surrounds and supports cells within tissue. These enzymes require a bound zinc or calcium atom to carry out their activity, which is reflected in the name metalloproteinase.
Under normal conditions, matrix metalloproteinases play an important role in processes that require the extracellular matrix to be remodeled, including wound healing, tissue development, and the normal turnover of connective tissue throughout the body.
Because matrix metalloproteinases can break down the structural barriers that normally separate tissue compartments, abnormal or excessive activity has been studied in relation to several disease processes, including the ability of cancer cells to invade surrounding tissue and spread, as well as certain inflammatory and joint conditions.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Elevated matrix metalloproteinase activity was noted in the tissue sample obtained from the tumor.
Good to know
Matrix metalloproteinases serve normal, necessary functions in tissue repair, so their presence alone is not abnormal, and it is excessive or poorly regulated activity that is linked to disease.
Word origin
Where “matrix metalloproteinase” comes from
Formed from Greek metallon, meaning metal, combined with protein and the suffix -ase, denoting an enzyme.