# A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for MMP7 (UniProt ID: P09237) for use in western blot and immunoprecipitation

## TL;DR

This paper evaluates ten commercial antibodies for studying MMP7, a protein linked to lung diseases, to help researchers choose the most reliable ones for experiments.

## Contribution

The study provides a systematic validation of MMP7 antibodies using a standardized knockout approach, improving reproducibility in MMP7 research.

## Key findings

- Ten commercial antibodies were tested for performance in western blot and immunoprecipitation.
- Results are shared to guide researchers in selecting high-quality MMP7 antibodies.
- The study is part of a broader initiative to improve antibody reproducibility for human proteins.

## Abstract

Matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7, also known as matrilysin) is a secreted zinc-dependent endopeptidase implicated in extracellular matrix remodelling and fibrotic processes. Elevated MMP7 expression is a hallmark of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases, where it has emerged as a candidate biomarker for disease progression. Identifying high-quality research antibodies is therefore essential to enable robust investigation of MMP7 biology and its translational potential. In this study, we systematically evaluated ten commercial antibodies for western blot and immunoprecipitation using a standardized knockout validation approach in human A549 cells, comparing readouts in MMP7 knockout lines with isogenic parental controls. These experiments form part of a larger collaborative initiative to address antibody reproducibility by characterizing commercial antibodies for human proteins and making the results openly available to the community. While antibody use and protocol conditions will vary between laboratories, this report provides a resource to guide selection of the most suitable reagents for studies of MMP7 in health and disease.