Matrix metalloproteinases are a family of zinc and calcium dependent endopeptidases with the combined ability to degrade all the components of the extracellular matrix. MMP-3 (stromelysin-1), can degrade a broad range of substrates including collagen alpha chains, aggrecan, laminin, fibronectin, elastin, casein, alpha -1 antitrypsin, myelin basic protein, IL-1 beta, IGFBP-3, pro MMP-1, pro MMP-7, pro MMP-8, pro MMP-9 and pro MMP-13. The MMP-3 substrate repertoire extends beyond extracellular matrix proteins and implicates MMP-3 in roles other than direct tissue remodelling, for instance, enzyme cascades and cytokine regulation
