Don't mess with the matrix.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is critical to morphogenesis and homeostasis. The identification of inactivating mutations in a gene encoding one of its modifying enzymes, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), in people with a hereditary disorder in which the bones disintegrate, represents the first genetic evidence that the proteolysis of the ECM mediates human growth and development. It also underscores the need for an intricate balance between breakdown and deposition of the ECM.