Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting MMP-9 Alleviate Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetic Mice
Scientists developed monoclonal antibodies targeting matrix metalloproteinase-9, which in a newly reported preclinical study slowed and even reversed diabetic nerve damage in mouse models of type I and type II diabetes. The post Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting MMP-9 Alleviate Peripheral Neuropathy in Diabetic Mice appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is nerve damage in the hands, legs, and feet caused by high blood sugar levels. Symptoms range from numbness to pain and cramps. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston developed monoclonal antibodies targeting matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) to alleviate DPN in mice with type I and type II diabetes.
The lead researcher, Xin (Alex) Ge, PhD, hopes these findings bring researchers closer to a human treatment. Up to 50% of diabetic patients develop peripheral neuropathy, which results from impaired microvascular circulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. While painkillers exist, they only address symptoms, not the root cause. The team focused on MMP-9, an enzyme that breaks down proteins between tissues and triggers excess immune response in the peripheral nervous system.
They created antibodies that specifically target MMP-9, overcoming challenges in developing such antibodies due to MMP-9's similarity to other enzymes. In preclinical tests, mice injected with the antibodies showed regenerated nerve fibers, improved wound healing, and reduced nerve fiber degeneration. Increased MMP-9 expression was found in patients with diabetes, supporting the potential of these monoclonal antibodies as disease-modifying therapies for peripheral neuropathy and reducing lower extremity complications associated with diabetes.
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