Why the study?
MMP/TIMP balance is associated with atherosclerotic plaque progression and adverse post-infarction cardiac fibrosis, but the specific contributions of select MMPs and TIMPs to both interrelated pathologies were unclear.
Population
Apoe-deficient mice
Comparison
Mmp7, Mmp9, Mmp12, or Timp1 deletion, TIMP-2 overexpression, or non-selective MMP inhibitor vs controls
Design
Preclinical animal study
Follow-up
36 weeks
Authors
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Supports MMP/TIMP targeting in atherosclerosis models; leaves open translation to human plaque instability or therapy.
MMP-12 appears to be a suitable therapeutic target for unstable atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac remodeling, as its deficiency promoted survival and reduced atherosclerotic burden in a preclinical model.
Kremastiotis et al. (2021) studied this question.
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