Matrix metalloproteinase-3
MMP3proteinMMP-3 degrades fibrous-cap collagen and proteoglycans, promoting plaque destabilization and rupture.
Pathway placement
Cascade stepFibrous-cap degradation & rupture
Confidencehigh
RationaleMMP-3 degrades extracellular matrix and is anchor-adjacent (with MMP-9, MMP-2) in cap rupture.
Also acts inVascular inflammation
Druggability
DruggableYes
Known drugs / candidates2
Small-molecule tractableYes
Antibody tractableYes
EnsemblENSG00000149968
Type I vs Type II discrimination
ScoresLow-confidence (proxy)
R — rupture / Type-I62
C — confounder / Type-II76
A — assay feasibility72
E — evidence strength29
T1DI (composite)9
Specificity differential (R−C)-14.5
Confounder panel (Type-II drivers)
No confounder evidence retrieved.
Tier: light (literature co-occurrence proxy — lower confidence). See the discrimination table for all markers.
Assay & specimen
Class-level default (no specific cleared assay)— generic method inferred from analyte class; confirm against a specific product insert before use.
Specimen
Serum or plasma
Collection tube
Serum separator (gold/red-top, SST) · K2/K3-EDTA (lavender-top)
Method / principle
Sandwich immunoassay (ELISA) — research-grade unless a cleared assay exists
Reagent / substrate
Matched anti-target antibody pair (capture + labeled detection)
Platform
ELISA microplate or multiplex (Luminex/MSD)
Turnaround · availability
Send-out / research · Research-grade (no universal clinical assay)
Literature evidence(6)
- Biomarkers and cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary disease in the ISCHEMIA Trials.American heart journal · 2023 · PMID 37604357 · doi
- Meta-Analysis of Extracellular Matrix Dynamics after Myocardial Infarction Using RNA-Sequencing Transcriptomic Database.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022 · PMID 36555255 · doi
- Change in matrix metalloproteinase 2, 3, and 9 levels at the time of and after acute atherothrombotic myocardial infarction.Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis · 2020 · PMID 31808123 · doi
- Preoperative biomarker evaluation for the prediction of cardiovascular events after major vascular surgery.Journal of vascular surgery · 2019 · PMID 31653377 · doi
- High-throughput targeted proteomics discovery approach and spontaneous reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.American heart journal · 2019 · PMID 31812755 · doi
- Pleiotropic roles of S100A12 in coronary atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture.Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) · 2009 · PMID 19542470 · doi