▁metal lo prote in ases ▁( TI MP ). ▁R ather ▁than ▁absolute ▁concentr ations ▁of ▁either ▁two , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁ratio ▁of ▁M MP ▁and ▁T I MP ▁that ▁maintain s ▁the ▁prote ol yt ic ▁balance ▁and ▁this ▁ratio ▁is ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁dist urbed ▁in ▁di ab etic ▁ul cer . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁these ▁find ings , ▁the ▁exact ▁mechanism ▁responsible ▁for ▁increased ▁M MP ▁activity ▁in ▁di ab etes ▁is ▁not ▁known ▁yet . ▁One ▁possible ▁line ▁of ▁thought ▁cons iders ▁Trans form ing ▁growth ▁factor ▁beta ▁( T G F - β ) ▁as ▁an ▁active ▁player . ▁Most ▁M MP ▁gen es ▁have ▁T G F - β ▁in hib itory ▁element ▁in ▁their ▁prom oter ▁regions ▁and ▁thus ▁T G F – β ▁regul ates ▁the ▁expression ▁of ▁both ▁M MP ▁and ▁their ▁in hib itor ▁T I MP . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁cell - cell ▁and ▁cell - matrix ▁interactions , ▁all ▁phases ▁of ▁w ound ▁he aling ▁are ▁controlled ▁by ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁different ▁growth ▁factors ▁and ▁cy tok ines . ▁To ▁mention ▁precisely , ▁growth ▁factors ▁promote ▁switching ▁of ▁early ▁infl am mat ory ▁phase ▁to ▁the ▁gran ulation ▁t issue ▁formation . ▁Dec re ase ▁in ▁growth ▁factors ▁responsible ▁for ▁t issue ▁repair ▁such ▁as ▁T G F - β ▁is ▁documented ▁in ▁di ab etic ▁w ounds . ▁Thus , ▁reduced ▁levels ▁of ▁T G F β ▁in ▁di ab etes ▁cases ▁lower ▁down ▁the