title: Status of research on MMPs in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MMPs are metal-dependant endopeptidases capable of degrading any one of the components of the extracellular matrix. In normal physiological conditions it is regulated by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, and any alteration in this regulatory process leads to pathological conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review discusses the status of MMP research in India. The first research paper was published in 1998; the subsequent developments in this field led to an increase in the number of publications. This review highlights the growth of MMP research in India based on the research papers published from 1998 to 2010. We identify four major subject areas: cancer, arthritis, ulcer and quantitative structure-activity relationship. The diseases involved are discussed along with the required steps for improving treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Indian researchers need to work on new molecules with specific MMP inhibitory activity for cancer and communicable and geriatric diseases. Although several publications on natural products have appeared from India, they are very few considering the number of medicinal plants available in the country. Inhibiting MMPs could be both beneficial and detrimental to cells, owing to the inter-relationship between normal physiology and pathology; thus, targeting MMPs with broad MMP inhibitors can have mixed blessings.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: Chinnadurai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saravanan
authors.forename: Sushil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D021281:Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases