Technology
Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh have shown that the activation peptides of MMPs are detectable in the urine via ELISA in mice with lung fibrosis and human patients with IPF but not in the urine of controls. These data suggest that urine detection of MMP activation peptides is feasible and correlates with disease. Because MMP activation contributes to disease initiation and progression, investigators feel that the accurate detection of activation of these proteases will be relevant clinically and may allow for earlier detection of disease as well as allow for prediction of acute exacerbations.

Background
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology. Historically, IPF has been seen as a gradually progressive disease. However, some patients with IPF experience acute exacerbations of IPF characterized by a rapid deterioration of lung function and accelerated death. Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are a family of proteinases that regulate extracellular matrix turnover. Some MMPs have been shown to be upregulated in IPF, most significantly just prior to acute exacerbations. MMPs are proteinases that are subject to inhibition once activated. Once inhibited, the protease-antiprotease complexes are rapidly cleared. This prevents the ability to accurately detect the total amount of MMP activation occurring simply by measuring the steady state amount of the active proteinase in biological fluids.

File Number: 1838 

Disease: Respiratory and Pulmonary System