Friends or Foes: Matrix Metalloproteinases and Their Multifaceted Roles in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Figure 4

Strategies for targeting MMPs. Inflammatory triggers or protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases initiate an inflammatory cascade. At this early stage, various pharmacological anti-inflammatory drugs are effective in eliminating the downstream consequences. Increased inflammation induces and/or activates MMPs, and various broad spectrum inhibitors are available to inhibit MMPs. However, due to the fact that MMPs have both beneficial and detrimental effects, specific MMP inhibition might be a better approach. Finally, it is also possible to interfere at the level of the cleaved substrates, either by reconstitution of crucial substrates or by blockage or removal of effector molecules.