Tufts University

Georgios Koukos

Athan Kuliopulos

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) play many important roles in normal and pathological remodeling processes including atherothrombotic disease, inflammation, angiogenesis and cancer. This invention relates to the activation of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) by endogenous platelet MMP-1 collagenase on the surface of platelets. Exposure of platelets to fibrillar collagen converts the surface-bound pro-MMP-1 zymogen to active MMP-1, which promotes aggregation through PAR-1. MMP-1 is shown to cleave the PAR-1 extracellular domain at a novel site, which then strongly activates Rho-GTP signaling pathways, cell shape change and motility, and MAPK signaling. Blockade of MMP-PAR1 suppresses thrombogenesis under arterial flow conditions and inhibited thrombosis in animals. These studies provide a link between matrix-dependent activation of metalloproteases and platelet-G protein signaling and identify MMP-1/PAR-1 as a new target for the treatment and prevention of arterial thrombosis and other thrombotic diseases.

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Georgios Koukos