EDITORIAL
TIMP-1 in asthma
TIMP-1 in asthma: guilty by association
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr S R Johnson
Division of Therapeutics and Molecular Medicine, University Hospital, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; simon.johnson@nottingham.ac.uk
A novel TIMP-1 polymorphism is associated with asthma in women
Keywords: matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9); tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1); asthma; polymorphism
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Over the last few years there has been increasing interest in the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in asthma. The MMPs are a family of over 20 zinc dependent endopeptidases with a range of substrate specificities. Although originally classified into gelatinases, stromolysins, collagenases, and matrilysins by their ability to cleave extracellular matrix components, it is now clear that MMPs have an increasing range of other functions. Of potential relevance to asthma is the release and activation of growth and angiogenic factors including transforming growth factor ß (TGFß)1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),2 apoptosis by release of Fas ligand,3 and activation of cell surface receptors—collectively resulting in effects on cell differentiation, survival, proliferation, and migration.4 MMP activity is tightly regulated at several levels. Gene transcription is enhanced by growth factors, cytokines and adhesion molecules and downregulated by TGFß and corticosteroids.5 MMPs are secreted as zymogens which require activation by
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