1570-159X/09 $55.00+.00 ©2009 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd. MMP-9, a Potential Target for Cerebral Ischemic Treatment

Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) which is a member of matrix metalloproteinases family that normally re-model the extracellular matrix, has been shown to play an important role in both animal models of cerebral ischemia and human stroke. The expression of MMP-9 is elevated after cerebral ischemia which is involved in accelerating matrix deg-radation, disrupting the blood-brain barrier, increasing the infarct size and relating to hemorrhagic transformation. Re-cently, many drugs, such as tetracycline derivatives, cyclooxygenase inhibitors, ACEI inhibitors and AT1 receptor block-ers, etc., have been found to attenuate the elevated expression levels of MMP-9 after ischemia and to reduce the damage of cerebral ischemic. This article reviews the physiological features of MMP-9 and its important role in the genesis, propagation, and therapeutics of cerebral ischemic diseases. Key Words: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), cerebral ischemia, regulation, therapeutical target. 1