The invention discloses MMP7 as a suitable target for the development of new therapeutics to treat or ameliorate chronic pain. The invention relates to methods to treat and/or ameliorate chronic pain and pharmaceutical compositions therefor comprising modulators with inhibitory effect on MMP7 enzyme activity and/or MMP7 gene expression. The invention also relates to a method to identify compounds with therapeutic usefulness to treat chronic pain, comprising identifying compounds that can inhibit MMP7 activity and/or gene expression, which can also reverse the pathological effects of chronic pain in vivo.
本发明公开了 MMP7 作为开发治疗或改善慢性疼痛的新疗法的合适靶点。本发明涉及治疗和/或改善慢性疼痛的方法及其药物组合物,其中包含对 MMP7 酶活性和/或 MMP7
基因表达具有抑制作用的调节剂。本发明还涉及一种鉴定对治疗慢性疼痛有治疗作用的化合物的方法,包括鉴定能抑制 MMP7 活性和/或
基因表达的化合物,这些化合物还能逆转体内慢性疼痛的病理效应。