Table 1.

Metzincin functions in the nervous system

Metzincin	Physiological function	Postinjury function
MMP-2	Neurite outgrowth^{^c}	Axonal regeneration and tissue repair^{^c}
	Astrocyte motility^{^b}
	PNS myelination^{^b}
MMP-3	Neurite outgrowth^{^c}
	Neural cell survival^{^c}
MMP-7	Neurotrophin convertase^{^a}
MMP-9	Neurite outgrowth^{^c}	Excitotoxic neuronal death^{^c}
	Neural cell precursor migration^{^c} and survival^{^a}	Scar formation^{^c}
	Oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination^{^c}	Remyelination^{^a}
	NGF degradation^{^a}	Neural cell precursor mobilization^{^c}
MMP-12	Oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination^{^c}	Secondary damage in SCI^{^c}
MMP-24		Spinal cord axonal sprouting^{^c}
MT–MMPs	Neuroblast migration^{^b}
ADAM-10	Axonal extension,^{^a} guidance,^{^a} and stabilization^{^c}
	Neuronal migration and differentiation^{^a}
ADAM-17		Neurite outgrowth in the presence of myelin ligands^{^c}
ADAMTS-4	Neurite outgrowth^{^a}
ADAMTS-5	Neurite outgrowth^{^a}

↵Findings have been obtained mostly with ^amolecular,
↵^bpharmacological, or
↵^cboth molecular and pharmacological approaches. Pharmacological approaches essentially use metzincin inhibitors, whereas molecular approaches include the use of recombinant metzincins or gain–loss-of-function engineered molecules.
SCI, Spinal cord injury; NGF, nerve growth factor; PNS, peripheral nervous system.