with respect to the conservation of the position of the cysteine residues all of the tcci peptides are distinctly different from timp thus the peptides of the invention are encoded by a gene different from that which encodes timp this demonstrates that tcci is the product of a separate gene synthetic peptides were prepared using the sequence from the amino terminal portion of the tcci molecule these were coupled to bovine serum albumin for use in generating anti peptide antibodies by standard methods the antibodies were affinity purified using solid phase peptide affinity chromatography as previously described stetler stevenson et al 1989 j biol chem 264 1353 1356 1989 these antibodies are reactive on standard western and immunoblots the isolated purified tcci and analogs can be used therapeutically in those diseases characterized by the uncontrolled activity of matrix metalloproteinases such diseases include arthritis diabetes cancer ulcers of mucosa and epithelial tissues autoimmune mediated inflammation lung injury granulomatous diseases other therapeutic benefit might also be obtained in diseases with basement membrane destruction such as lupus autoimmune neural disorders myocyte destruction such as myodystrophies myocardial infarct and glomerulopathies tcci could also be used as a potential birth control methodology by preventing embryo placental attachment or invasion when metalloproteinase inhibitors of the invention are used in the treatment of inappropriate angiogenesis arthritis tumor growth invasion and metastasis and.