Abstract

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were discovered because of their role in amphibian metamorphosis, yet they have attracted more attention because of their roles in disease. Despite intensive scrutiny in vitro, in cell culture and in animal models, the normal physiological roles of these extracellular proteases have been elusive. Recent studies in mice and flies point to essential roles of MMPs as mediators of change and physical adaptation in tissues, whether developmentally regulated, environmentally induced or disease associated.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Biology and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA.
   Email: pagema@rpi.edu
2. Department of Anatomy and Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0452, USA.
   Email: andrew.ewald@ucsf.edu
   Email: zena.werb@ucsf.edu
3. These authors contributed equally to this paper.

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