Beneficial regulation of matrix metalloproteinases for skin health.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are essential to the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. While their upregulation facilitates aging and cancer, they are essential to epidermal differentiation and the prevention of wound scars. The pharmaceutical industry is active in identifying products that inhibit MMPs to prevent or treat aging and cancer and products that stimulate MMPs to prevent epidermal hyperproliferative diseases and wound scars.