This invention relates to a novel human metalloproteinase, to homologues and fragments thereof, to means for producing the metalloproteinase, and to means for regulating its production and activity in vivo.

A number of physiologically important processing events are mediated by metalloproteinases, which under certain circumstances may contribute to pathologies as diverse as inflammation and cancer, and it has been suggested that such enzymes would provide targets for therapeutic intervention. Thus, by varying the production of the enzyme, or inhibiting or enhancing its activity in vivo it should be possible to achieve a therapeutic effect.

In one example, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a potent pro¬ inflammatory and immunomodulatory mammalian cytokine produced primarily by activated monocytes and macrophages. It is initially expressed as a 233-amino-acid membrane-anchored precursor (pro-TNF- α) which is proteolytically processed to yield the mature, 157-amino-acid cytokine. Evidence has been obtained which indicates that at least one metalloproteinase-like enzyme mediates pro-TNF-α cleavage, but to date the enzyme(s) responsible for this in vivo are unknown [see for example Mohler, K M etal, Nature 3ZQ, 218-220 (1994); Gearing, A J etal ibid 370, 555-557 (1994); McGeehan, G M et al. /b/£( 370_, 558-561 (1994)]. A number of known matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors have been shown to block TNF-α secretion [see the above papers and International Patent Specification Publication No. WO 95/06031]. These compounds were originally designed to selectively inhibit matrix metalloproteinases such as collagenase with primary functions unrelated to pro-TNF-α cleavage. Where new inhibitors have been described these have apparently been selected on the basis of their effect on TNF-α secretion seen in cell-based assays.

In another example, L-seiectin shedding is thought to be a pro- inflammatory event that is mediated by an as yet unidentified metalloproteinase [Lasty, Science, 258. 964-969 (1992)]. Some inhibitors of L-selectin proteolysis have been identified, but these have been obtained using cell based assays [Walchech et aL Nature, 380. 720-723 (1996); Feehan etal.. J. Biol. Chem., 271.7019-7024 (1996)].

In general, in order to obtain compounds capable of selectively regulating the action of a metalloproteinase implicated in human disease, for example as in the above TNF-α and L-selectin instances it would be clearly advantageous to have the enzyme unequivocally identified and obtainable in an isolated, purified and unambiguous characterised form.

Through the use of a cloning and screening approach, we have been able to identify human DNA which is responsible for coding one such metalloproteinase. This DNA has the sequence described in SEQ I.D. No: 1 below and may be of use (1) in the production of the metalloproteinase, (2) in the provision of means to regulate the activity of the metalloproteinase in vivo, and (3) in the provision of means to detect and measure a metalloproteinase in a biological system, e.g. in serum, synovial fluid or a tissue extract.

Thus according to one aspect of the invention we provide isolated human DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 :

SEQ I.D. No: 1

GAGAAGAGCAGACACCGTGCTCCTGGAATCACCCAGCATGTTGCAA GGTCTCCTGCCAGTCAGTCTCCTCCTCTCTGTTGCAGTAAGTGCTAT AAAAGAACTCCCTGGGGTGAAGAAGTATGAAGTGGTTTATCCTATAA GACTTCATCCACTGCATAAAAGAGAGGCCAAAGAGCCAGAGCAACAG GAACAATTTGAAACTGAATTAAAGTATAAAATGACAATTAATGGAAAAA TTGCAGTGCTTTATTTGAAAAAAAACAAGAACCTCCTTGCACCAGGCT ACACGGAAACATATTATAATTCCACTGGAAAGGAGATCACCACAAGC CCACAAATTATGGATGATTGTTATTATCAAGGACATATTCTTAATGAAA

AGGTTTCTGACGCTAGCATCAGCACATGTAGGGGTCTAAGGGGCTAC TTCAGTCAGGGGGATCAAAGATACTTTATTGAACCTTTAAGCCCCATA CATCGGGATGGACAGGAGCATGCACTCTTCAAGTATAACCCTGATGA AAAGAATTATGACAGCACCTGTGGGATGGATGGTGTGTTGTGGGCCC ACGATTTGCAGCAGAACATTGCCCTACCTGCCACCAAACTAGTAAAAT TGAAAGACAGGAAGGTTCAGGAACATGAGAAATACATAGAATATTATT TGGTCCTGGATAATGGTGAGTTTAAAAGGTACAATGAGAATCAAGAT GAGATCAGAAAGAGGGTATTTGAGATGGCTAATTATGTCAACATGCTT TATAAAAAGCTCAATACTCATGTGGCCTTAGTTGGTATGGAAATCTGG ACTGACAAGGATAAGATAAAGATAACCCCAAATGCAAGCTTCACCTTG GAGAATTTTTCTAAATGGAGGGGGAGTGTTCTCTCAAGAAGAAAGCG TCATGATATTGCTCAGTTAATCACAGCAACAGAACTTGCTGGAACGAC TGTGGGTCTTGCATTTATGTCTACAATGTGTTCTCCTTATTCTGTTGG CGTTGTTCAGGACCACAGCGATAATCTTCTTAGAGTTGCAGGGACAA TGGCACATGAAATGGGCCACAACTTTGGAATGTTTCATGACGACTATT CTTGCAAGTGTCCTTCTACAATATGTGTGATGGACAAAGCACTGAGCT TCTATATACCCACAGACTTCAGTTCCTGCAGCCGTCTCAGCTATGACA AG I I I I I IGAAGATAAATTATCAAATTGCCTCTTTAATGCTCCATTGCC TACAGATATCATATCCACTCCAATTTGTGGGAACCAGTTGGTGGAAAT GGGAGAGGACTGTGATTGTGGGACATCTGAGACATGTAAAATCAAAG C CTTTTCAATGTGCATTAGGAGAATGTTGTGAAAAATGCCAATTTA AAAAGGCTGGGATGGTGTGCAGACCAGCAAAAGATGAGTGCGACCT GCCTGAAATGTGTAATGGTAAATCTGGTAATTGTCCTGATGATAGATT CCAAGTCAATGGCTTCCCTTGCCATCACGGGAAGGGCCACTGCTTGA TGGGGACATGCCCCACACTGCAGGAGCAGTGCACAGAGCTGTGGGG ACCAGGTAGGAGGACAAATCCTTTCCCCTGTGCATGTGCGAAGGAAA ATCATTTCAGATGACAGTGTTTAACCATGGTCAAAGGACCATTCTGTC CTATCCTTCTTAGAAGCTTCGAACTCAAAATCATGGAAAGGTTTTAAG ATTTGAGGTTGGTTTTAGGGTTGCTAGATTTAGCAAGTAAAAATAAGG ATGGCCCCGTTAAATTTTAACTTAAAATTAACAAG I I I I I I GTTAATTTT TTG I I I I I I GTCTCAGCATCAGTATATCCCATGCAATATTTGAGGTGT GCTCATACTAAAATTATTTGTGTATCTGAAATTCAAATTAAACTGGGTG TC I I I I I CTTTTCATCTGGCAACCCTACTAAGATCATAAACCCTTGGAA ATCTGTGTGTGTGCGGGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGTGCAGGGGTGG

CAGAAGTACTGTGGGATGGGACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAA

and homologues and fragments thereof.

It will be appreciated that the nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 also includes control sequences, such as a polyadenylation sequence, providing for expression of the sequence in a host cell.

One particular DNA fragment according to the invention is the isolated human metallo-proteinase-encoding nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 2:

SEQ I.D. No: 2

ATGTTGCAAGGTCTCCTGCCAGTCAGTCTCCTCCTCTCTGTTGCAGT AAGTGCTATAAAAGAACTCCCTGGGGTGAAGAAGTATGAAGTGGTTT ATCCTATAAGACTTCATCCACTGCATAAAAGAGAGGCCAAAGAGCCA GAGCAACAGGAACAATTTGAAACTGAATTAAAGTATAAAATGACAATT AATGGAAAAATTGCAGTGCTTTATTTGAAAAAAAACAAGAACCTCCTT GCACCAGGCTACACGGAAACATATTATAATTCCACTGGAAAGGAGAT CACCACAAGCCCACAAATTATGGATGATTGTTATTATCAAGGACATAT TCTTAATGAAAAGGTTTCTGACGCTAGCATCAGCACATGTAGGGGTC TAAGGGGCTACTTCAGTCAGGGGGATCAAAGATACTTTATTGAACCTT TAAGCCCCATACATCGGGATGGACAGGAGCATGCACTCTTCAAGTAT AACCCTGATGAAAAGAATTATGACAGCACCTGTGGGATGGATGGTGT GTTGTGGGCCCACGATTTGCAGCAGAACATTGCCCTACCTGCCACCA AACTAGTAAAATTGAAAGACAGGAAGGTTCAGGAACATGAGAAATAC ATAGAATATTATTTGGTCCTGGATAATGGTGAGTTTAAAAGGTACAAT GAGAATCAAGATGAGATCAGAAAGAGGGTATTTGAGATGGCTAATTA TGTCAACATGCTTTATAAAAAGCTCAATACTCATGTGGCCTTAGTTGG TATGGAAATCTGGACTGACAAGGATAAGATAAAGATAACCCCAAATG CAAGCTTCACCTTGGAGAA I I I I I CTAAATGGAGGGGGAGTGTTCTCT CAAGAAGAAAGCGTCATGATATTGCTCAGTTAATCACAGCAACAGAA CTTGCTGGAACGACTGTGGGTCTTGCATTTATGTCTACAATGTGTTCT

CCTTATTCTGTTGGCGTTGTTCAGGACCACAGCGATAATCTTCTTAGA GTTGCAGGGACAATGGCACATGAAATGGGCCACAACTTTGGAATGTT TCATGACGACTATTCTTGCAAGTGTCCTTCTACAATATGTGTGATGGA CAAAGCACTGAGCTTCTATATACCCACAGACTTCAGTTCCTGCAGCC GTCTCAGCTATGACAAG I I I I I I GAAGATAAATTATCAAATTGCCTCTT TAATGCTCCATTGCCTACAGATATCATATCCACTCCAATTTGTGGGAA CCAGTTGGTGGAAATGGGAGAGGACTGTGATTGTGGGACATCTGAG ACATGTAAAATCAAAGCAACTTTTCAATGTGCATTAGGAGAATGTTGT GAAAAATGCCAATTTAAAAAGGCTGGGATGGTGTGCAGACCAGCAAA AGATGAGTGCGACCTGCCTGAAATGTGTAATGGTAAATCTGGTAATT GTCCTGATGATAGATTCCAAGTCAATGGCTTCCCTTGCCATCACGGG AAGGGCCACTGCTTGATGGGGACATGCCCCACACTGCAGGAGCAGT GCACAGAGCTGTGGGGACCAGGTAGGAGGACAAATCCTTTCCCCTG TGCATGTGCGAAGGAAAATCATTTCAGA

and homologues and fragments thereof.

In the sequences herein standard one letter codes are used to represent nucleotides or amino acids as appropriate.

DNA according to the invention may be obtained using conventional molecular biology procedures, for example by probing a human genomic or cDNA library with one or more labelled oligonucleotide probes containing for example fifteen or more contiguous nucleotides designed using the nucleotide sequences described herein [see for example "Current Protocols in Molecular Biology", Ausubel, F M ef a/(edsι. Greene Publishing Associates and Wiley-Interscience, New York (1987)].

Where the term homologue is used herein in relation to a particular nucleotide or amino acid sequence this is to be understood to represent a corresponding sequence in which one or more nucleotides or amino acids have been added, deleted, substituted or otherwise chemically modified, provided always that the homologue retains substantially the same catalytic properties as the particular sequence described. One particular type of homologue for example may be that in which one or more

nucleotides have been substituted due to the degeneracy of the genetic code. Homologues may be obtained by standard molecular biology and/or chemistry techniques, e.g. by cDNA or gene cloning, or by use of oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis or oligonucleotide directed synthesis techniques or enzymatic cleavage or enzymatic filling in of gapped oligonucleotides (see for example Ausubel, F M ibid).

The DNA of SEQ I.D. No: 1 and SEQ I.D. No: 2 each codes for a human metalloproteinase. Thus, the DNA according to the invention or a fragment thereof may be used as a probe to screen an appropriate genomic or cDNA library in a process utilising standard hybridisation and/or PCR cloning techniques to obtain the gene or cDNA coding for a homologue or fragment of the metalloproteinase, or a related metalloproteinase from another species.

The DNA according to the invention may in turn be used to produce a metalloproteinase. In another aspect of the invention we therefore provide an isolated human metalloproteinase which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 3:

SEQ I.D. No: 3

MLQGLLPVSLLLSVAVSAIKELPGVKKYEWYPIRLHPLHKREAKEPEQQ EQFETELKYKMTINGKIAVLYLKKNKNLLAPGYTETYYNSTGKEITTSPQI MDDCYYQGHILNEKVSDASISTCRGLRGYFSQGDQRYFIEPLSPIHRDG QEHALFKYNPDEKNYDSTCGMDGVLWAHDLQQNIALPATKLVKLKDRK VQEHEKYIEYYLVLDNGEFKRYNENQDEIRKRVFEMANYVNMLYKKLNT HVALVGMEIWTDKDKIKITPNASFTLENFSKWRGSVLSRRKRHDIAQLITA TELAGTTVGLAFMSTMCSPYSVGVVQDHSDNLLRVAGTMAHEMGHNF GMFHDDYSCKCPSTICVMDKALSFYIPTDFSSCSRLSYDKFFEDKLSNCL FNAPLPTDIISTPICGNQLVEMGEDCDCGTSETCKIKATFQCALGECCEK CQFKKAGMVCRPAKDECDLPEMCNGKSGNCPDDRFQVNGFPCHHGK GHCLMGTCPTLQEQCTELWGPGRRTNPFPCACAKENHFR

and homologues and fragments thereof.

The production of a protein according to the invention may be achieved using standard recombinant DNA techniques involving the expression of the metalloproteinase by a host cell. The isolated nucleic acids described herein may be for example introduced into any suitable expression vector by operatively linking the DNA to any necessary expression control elements therein and transforming any suitable procaryotic or eucaryotic host cell with the vector using well known procedures for example as described below in the production of antibodies. The invention is thus to be understood to extend to recombinant plasmids containing a gene of the invention or a nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 or SEQ I.D. No: 2, to cells containing said recombinant plasmids and to a process for producing the protein according to the invention which comprises culturing said cells such that the desired protein is expressed and recovering the protein from the culture.

Thus in one example ,the nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 without its 3' poly A tail, or SEQ I.D. No: 2 can be inserted downstream of the hCMV promoter in the pEE12 plasmid vector, and either transiently or stabily expressed in CHO-L761h or NSO mouse melanoma cells [Murphy et al.. J. Biol. Chem.. 267. 9612-9618 (1992)]. Expression of the enzyme according to the invention can be detected in serum free culture medium by its catalytic properties, for example as a gelatinolytic band of approximately 58000 kD from CHO cells, by analysis on a gelatin containing polyacrylamide gel [Murphy et al., Biochem. J., 283. 637-641 (1992)]. This assay can also be used during the subsequent isolation of the expressed enzyme from transfected cell conditioned medium. If the enzyme requires further activation, this may be achieved proteolytically through use of modest amounts of trypsin, furin, or other methods, in order to remove an approximately 180 amino acid N-terminal propeptide, as described for other metalloproteinases [Murphy et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267. 9612-9618 (1992); Crabbe et al., Biochemistry, 23, 14419-14425 (1994); Pei and Weiss, Nature, 275, 244-247 (1995); Will et al., J. Biol. Chem., 271, 17119-17123 (1996)]

It may be desirable to produce the catalytic domain of the protein according to the invention in isolation from the rest of the molecule. This may be achieved using the above standard recombinant DNA techniques except that in this instance the DNA sequence used is that encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 4:

SEQ I.D. No: 4

VQEHEKYIEYYLVLDNGEFKRYNENQDEIRKRVFEMANYVNMLYKKLNT HVALVGMEIWTDKDKIKITPNASFTLENFSKWRGSVLSRRKRHDIAQLITA TELAGTTVGLAFMSTMCSPYSVGVVQDHSDNLLRVAGTMAHEMGHNF GMFHDDYSCKCPSTICVMDKALSFYIPTDFSSCSRLSYDKFFEDKLSNCL FNAP

or a homologue thereof, and the invention extends to such isolated catalytic domains.

N or C-terminally extended versions of the sequence shown in SEQ I.D. No: 4 may be obtained by expression in procaryotic or eucaryotic cells as described above optionally attached to a peptide tag via which the protein may be affinity purified and identified. Examples of tags include the well known "His" or "Strep-tags". Further sequences that may be attached arise from expression in procaryotic cells and include the pelB or ompA leaders which when placed at the N-terminus help direct secretion to the E.coli periplasmic space [Schmidt and Skerra, J. Chromatography, 676. 337-345 (1994); Knauper et al., J. Biol. Chem., 271, 17124-17131 (1996)].

The nucleotide sequences according to the invention may also be of use in diagnosis, for example to determine enzyme deficiency in a human subject, by for example direct DNA sequence comparison or DNA/RNA hybridisation assays; or in therapy, for example where it is desired to modify the production of the metalloproteinase in vivo, and the invention extends to such uses.

Knowledge of the gene according to the invention also provides the ability to regulate its activity in vivo by for example the use of antisense DNA or RNA. Thus, according to a further aspect of the invention we provide an antisense DNA or an antisense RNA of a gene coding for a human metalloproteinase, said gene containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 or SEQ I.D. No: 2.

The antisense DNA or RNA will correspond to the metalloproteinase gene or a fragment thereof, for example a fragment based on the nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 or SEQ I.D. No: 2. The antisense DNA or RNA can be produced using conventional means, by standard molecular biology and/or by chemical synthesis as described above. If desired, the antisense DNA and antisense RNA may be chemically modified so as to prevent degradation in vivo or to facilitate passage through a cell membrane, and/or a substance capable of inactivating mRNA, for example ribosyme, may be linked thereto, and the invention extends to such constructs.

The antisense DNA or antisense RNA may be of use in the treatment of diseases or disorders in humans in which the over- or unregulated production of the metalloproteinase has been implicated. Such diseases or disorders may include those described under the general headings of infectious diseases, e.g. HIV infection; inflammatory disease/autoimmunity e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease; osteoarthritis; cancer; allergic/atopic diseases e.g. asthma, eczema; cardiovascular disease e.g. myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure; systemic inflammatory response syndrome e.g. sepsis syndrome; reperfusion injury; malignancy; cachexia; congenital e.g. cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia; dermatologic, e.g. psoriasis, alopecia; neurologic, e.g. multiple sclerosis, migraine headache; renal e.g. uraemia, nephrotic syndrome; obstetric/gynecologic e.g. premature labour, miscarriage, genitourinary prolapse, urinary incontinence, contraception, infertility; transplants e.g. organ transplant rejection, graft-versus-host disease; metabolic/idiopathic disease e.g. diabetes; disorders of the bone such as osteoporosis; and toxicity e.g. due to chemotherapy, cytokine therapy, and anti-CD3 therapy.

The metalloproteinase according to the invention and homologues or fragments thereof may be used to generate substances which selectively bind to the proteins and in so doing regulate the activity of the enzymes. Such substances include, for example, antibodies, and the invention extends in particular to an antibody which is capable of recognising one or more epitopes on a metalloproteinase containing the amino acid sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 3 or a homologue or fragment thereof. In particular the antibody may be a neutralising antibody.

As used herein the term antibody is to be understood to mean a whole antibody or a fragment thereof, for example a F(ab)2, Fab, Fv, VH or VK fragment, a single-chain antibody, a multimeric monospecific antibody or fragment thereof, or a bi- or multispecific antibody or fragment thereof.

The antibody according to the invention may be a polyclonal or, especially, a monoclonal antibody. The antibody may belong to any immunoglobulin class, and may be for example an IgG, for example IgG-i, lgG2. lgG,3 lgG4, IgE, IgM or IgA antibody. It may be of animal, for example mammalian origin, and may be for example a murine, rat or human antibody. Alternatively, the antibody may be a chimeric antibody. The term chimeric antibody is used herein to mean any antibody containing portions derived from different animal species. Particular examples include those antibodies having a variable region derived from a murine or other antibody constant region, and those antibodies in which one or more CDR sequences and optionally one or more variable region framework amino acids are derived from a murine or other antibody and the remaining portions of the variable and the constant regions are derived from a human immunoglobulin.

Antibodies according to the invention may be prepared by conventional immunisation and recombinant DNA techniques. Thus, for example polyclonal antibodies may be obtained from the sera of animals immunised with a metalloproteinase according to the invention or a homologue or fragment thereof. Any suitable host, for example BALB/c

mice where it is desired to obtain a mouse polyclonal antibody, may be injected with the immunogen, the serum collected and the antibody recovered therefrom. Monoclonal antibodies may be obtained from hybridomas derived from the spleen cells of an animal immunised as just discussed and fused to an appropriate "immortal" B-tumour cell. In each instance, the antibody may be recovered from either the serum or the hybridoma by making use of standard purification and or concentration techniques, for example by chromatography, using for example Protein A or by other affinity chromatography employing a metalloproteinase of the invention or a homologue or fragment thereof.

Once a cell line, for example a hybridoma, expressing an antibody according to the invention has been obtained it is possible to clone therefrom the cDNA and to identify the variable region genes encoding the desired antibody, including the sequences encoding the CDRs. From here, other chimeric antibodies according to the invention may be obtained by preparing one or more replicable expression vectors containing at least the DNA sequence encoding the variable domain of the antibody heavy or light chain and optionally other DNA sequences encoding remaining portions of the heavy and/or light chains as desired, and transforming an appropriate cell line, e.g. a non-producing myeloma cell line, such as a mouse NSO line, in which production of the antibody will occur. In order to obtain efficient transcription and translation, the DNA sequence in each vector should include appropriate regulatory sequences, particularly a promoter and leader sequence operably linked to the variable domain sequence. Particular methods for producing antibodies in this way are generally well known and routinely used. For example, basic molecular biology procedures are described by Maniatis et al [Molecular Cloning, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, 1989]; DNA sequencing can be performed as described in Sanger et al [PNAS 74. 5463, (1977)] and the Amersham International pic sequencing handbook; and site directed mutagenesis can be carried out according to the method of Kramer et al [Nucl. Acids Res. 12, 9441 , (1984)] and the Anglian Biotechnology Ltd handbook. Additionally, there are numerous publications, including patent specifications, detailing techniques suitable for the preparation of

antibodies by manipulation of DNA, creation of expression vectors and transformation of appropriate cells, for example as reviewed by Mountain A and Adair, J R in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews [ed. Tombs, M P, JJ), Chapter 1 , 1992, Intercept, Andover, UK] and in lntemational Patent Specification No. WO 91/09967.

Antibodies and other selective binding agents according to the invention may be of use in therapy, either alone or as a delivery agent, for the delivery of a drug, prodrug, radiometal or radioisotope, for example in the treatment of diseases such as those described above in humans and/or other animals, or may find a use as purification agents in the preparation of the human metalloproteinase or homologues or fragments thereof.

In a further use according to the invention, selective binding agents of the invention, such as antibodies, may form the basis of a diagnostic assay to detect the presence or absence in a biological sample (e.g. serum, synovial fluid or a tissue extract) of a metalloproteinase as described herein. Thus for example the binding agent may be brought into contact with a sample of serum, synovial fluid or tissue under conditions in which a complex is formed between the binding agent and target metalloproteinase. Qualitative and/or quantitative detection of the complex can then be used to determine the presence or absence of the metalloproteinase and in particular whether the enzyme is present in an abnormal quantity associated for example with a particular disease state.

The metalloproteinases according to the invention may in particular be used to screen for compounds which regulate the activity of the enzymes and the invention extends to such a screen and to the use of compounds obtainable therefrom to regulate metalloproteinases in vivo.

Thus according to a further aspect of the invention we provide a process for obtaining a compound capable of regulating the action of a human metalloproteinase in vivo which comprises subjecting one or more test compounds to a screen comprising (A) a metalloproteinase having the amino acid sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 3 or a homologue or fragment

thereof, or (B) a host cell transformed to be capable of expressing a nucleotide sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 1 or SEQ I.D. No: 2 or a homologue or fragment thereof.

The screen according the invention may be operated using conventional procedures, for example by bringing the test compound or compounds to be screened and an appropriate substrate into contact with the metalloproteinase or a cell capable of producing it and determining affinity for the protein in accordance with standard practice.

Any compound obtainable in this way may have a potential use in the treatment in humans and/or other animals of one or more of the above mentioned diseases. The invention thus extends to a compound selected through its ability to regulate the activity of a metalloproteinase in vivo as primarily determined in a screening assay utilising a metalloproteinase having an amino acid sequence of SEQ I.D. No: 3 or a homologue or fragment thereof or a gene coding therefor, for use in the treatment of a disease in which the over- or under-activity or unregulated activity of the metalloproteinase is implicated.