Matrix metalloproteinases and the regulation of tissue remodelling

New insights from mouse, Drosophila melanogaster and human studies have shed light on the functions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as active regulators of embryonic development, tissue remodelling and tissue repair in response to injury, infection or disease. 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.