title: Matrix metalloprotease regulation of neuropathic pain.
abstract: Neuropathic pain affects millions of people globally and could be a disease on its own right. Current treatments focus on blocking neurotransmission and have resulted in limited success. Recent progress points to an important role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) comprise a large family of zinc endopeptidases that have been implicated in the generation of neuroinflammation via cleavage of extracellular matrix proteins and activation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, little is known about the role of MMPs in chronic pain regulation. Our recent study has shown that neuropathic pain development in the early and late phase requires MMP-9 and MMP-2, respectively. Inhibition of MMP-9 or MMP-2 might provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. rrji@zeus.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Ru-Rong
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Zhen-Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Eng H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000502:physiology; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000502:physiology; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000502:physiology*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9