TIMP-3 Antibody

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 complexes with metalloproteinases (such as collagenases) and irreversibly inactivates them by binding to their catalytic zinc cofactor. TIMP-3 is critical to the maintenance of tissue homeostasis by suppressing the proliferation of quiescent tissues in response to angiogenic factors, and by inhibiting protease activity in tissues undergoing remodelling of the extracellular matrix. Defects in TIMP-3 are the cause of Sorsby fundus dystrophy (SFD). SFD is a rare autosomal dominant macular disorder with an age of onset in the fourth decade. It is characterized by loss of central vision from subretinal neovascularization and atrophy of the ocular tissues. Generally, macular disciform degeneration develops in the patient’s eye within 6 months to 6 years.