Identification of highly selective MMP-14 inhibitory Fabs by deep sequencing.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-14 is an important target for cancer treatment due to its critical roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Previous failures of all compound-based broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors in clinical trials suggest that selectivity is the key for a successful therapy. With inherent high specificity, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) therefore arise as attractive inhibitors able to target the particular MMP of interest.