Significance
Increased levels of tissue-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) lead to pathologic matrix degradation in chronic wounds. Therefor functional biomaterials that restore the balance between MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are required to promote wound healing. Since sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) derivatives demonstrated already to be e.g. anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, and native GAGs interact with TIMP-3 the former are promising candidates for functionalizing biomaterials. We identified the GAG binding sites of TIMP-3 by combining experimental and molecular modeling approaches and revealed that GAG derivatives have a higher capacity to sequester TIMP-3 than native GAGs without altering its inhibitory potential towards MMPs. Thus GAG derivative-containing biomaterials could protect tissue from excessive proteolytic degradation e.g. in chronic wounds by re-establishing the MMP/TIMP balance.
Statement of significance
Increased levels of tissue-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) lead to pathologic matrix degradation in chronic wounds. Therefor functional biomaterials that restore the balance between MMPs and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are required to promote wound healing. Since sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) derivatives demonstrated already to be e.g. anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory, and native GAGs interact with TIMP-3 the former are promising candidates for functionalizing biomaterials. We identified the GAG binding sites of TIMP-3 by combining experimental and molecular modeling approaches and revealed that GAG derivatives have a higher capacity to sequester TIMP-3 than native GAGs without altering its inhibitory potential towards MMPs. Thus GAG derivative-containing biomaterials could protect tissue from excessive proteolytic degradation e.g. in chronic wounds by re-establishing the MMP/TIMP balance.