The cornea has a high degree of transparency due to its unique internal orderly arrangement structure, and as a major refractive media in the anterior eye. However, due to its lack of blood supply, the recovery period of corneal diseases is long and the condition is prone to recurrence, corneal diseases seriously affecting the patient's vision and daily life. Matrix Metalloproteinases play an important role in many diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis and atherosclerosis, by participating in tissue protein degradation and remodelling, angiogenesis, inflammatory immune response, etc. Among them, the role of MMP-2 in ocular diseases has also been gradually explored and studied. Herpes simplex virus keratitis is highly blinding, and repeated attacks can cause the cornea to lose transparency, gradually worsen corneal opacity, ultimately resulting in blindness. By analysing the mechanism of MMP-2 in herpesvirus keratitis and corneal ulcers, researchers were found that specific inhibitions of MMP-2 have certain clinical application prospects in keratitis. In the future, from the perspective of this study, it may be appropriate to increase the research and development of related drug treatments, solve the limitations of current treatments, and bring new effective treatment options for corneal disease patients.
