MMPs as therapeutic targets
In the 1980s and early 1990s, huge resources were put into the
development of MMP inhibitors (MMPIs) for treatment of
cancer patients. At this time, MMPs were simply thought of as
matrix-degrading enzymes, and MMPIs were believed to be
able to greatly reduce the invasive and metastatic potential of
cancer cells. In clinical trials, however, the drugs generally
offered no survival benefit to patients or sometimes even
decreased survival compared to patients in control groups. In
addition, severe side effects were reported.