Synthetic Molecules Trigger MMP-Targeting mAbs to Treat IBD

Scientists report on an approach to treating inflammatory bowel diseases that uses small synthetic molecules to trigger the production of antibodies against two metalloproteinases.

Scientists report on an approach to treating inflammatory bowel diseases that uses small synthetic molecules to trigger the production of antibodies against two metalloproteinases (MMPs).

The Weizmann Institute of Science team was looking to mimic the activity of the body’s own tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) by generating molecules that would specifically inhibit MMP-9 (gelatinase) and the closely related MMP-2 (gelatinase A).

To this end they designed synthetic molecules that mimic the conserved structure of the metalloenzyme catalytic zinc-histidine complex that lies within the active site of each target MMP enzyme.  Their hypothesis was that such molecules would elicit an immune response and hence the production of mAbs targeting the syn