Principal Investigator Steven Tannenbaum
Co-investigator John Wishnok
Project Website http://web.mit.edu/toxms/www/ravi.htm
The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in a number of key normal and pathologic processes including tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. However, the precise role of individual MMPs in a given disease context remains unclear, largely due to lack of techniques that can monitor the catalytic states of these enzymes in a complex proteome. The aim of my research is to synthesize new chemical probes that 'read out' the active states of enzymes and the identification of probe-labeled MMPs by applying mass spectrometry and proteomics techniques, with the anticipation that these enzymes may serve as important diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis).