Matrix Metalloproteinase Therapy Enhances Posttraumatic Skeletal Muscleregeneration

Muscle injuries are the most common musculoskeletal injuries encountered by physicians. Muscle undergoes time-dependent phases of healing, which ultimately result in residual fibrosis in the injured area. Fibrous tissue impedes the muscle healing process by forming a physical barrier that limits myoblast migration and fusion, which in turn creates an unsuitable environment for regenerating myofibers (1). This process predisposes the muscle not only to diminished function, but also to reinjury. Although researchers have investigated the prevention of fibrosis through the prophylactic use of anti-fibrosis agents (e.g., decorin and suramin), clinical scenarios likely would require the treatment of fibrous tissue after its development (2,3). The therapeutic use of exogenous matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of naturally occurring proteases involved in cell migration and extracellular matrix maintenance (4,5), may improve recovery after muscle injuries by promoting the digestion of existing fibrous tissue and releasing local growth factors, thereby enhancing the growth of regenerating myofibers and their migration into the area of injury.