TIMP3 and Sorsby's fundus dystrophy: Interestingly, a short 16 amino acid peptide sequence, that forms the truncated C-terminus of a mutant form of TIMP-3, E139X, known to give rise to the degenerative retinal disease, Sorsby’s fundus dystrophy [5], also inhibited VEGF receptor-mediated signalling by endothelial cells (EC) in vitro.