The multifaceted roles of cathepsins in immune and inflammatory responses: implications for cancer therapy, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases

Kexin Zhao; Yangqing Sun; Shangwei Zhong; Jun-Li Luo

doi:10.1186/s40364-024-00711-9

The multifaceted roles of cathepsins in immune and inflammatory responses: implications for cancer therapy, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases

Biomark Res. 2024 Dec 31;12(1):165. doi: 10.1186/s40364-024-00711-9.

Authors

Kexin Zhao^{1

2}, Yangqing Sun³, Shangwei Zhong^{1

2}, Jun-Li Luo^{4

5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ The Cancer Research Institute and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China (USC), Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.
² MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, USC, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.
³ Department of Oncology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, 410005, China.
⁴ The Cancer Research Institute and the Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China (USC), Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China. [email protected].
⁵ MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, Hengyang Medical School, USC, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China. [email protected].
⁶ National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, USC, Hengyang, Hunan, 410008, China. [email protected].
⁷ Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Basic and Clinical Pharmacological Research of Gastrointestinal Cancer, USC, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China. [email protected].

Abstract

The cathepsin family comprises lysosomal proteases that play essential roles in various physiological processes, including protein degradation, antigen presentation, apoptosis, and tissue remodeling. Dysregulation of cathepsin activity has been linked to a variety of pathological conditions, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding the functions of cathepsins is crucial for gaining insights into their roles in both health and disease, as well as for developing targeted therapeutic approaches. Emerging research underscores the significant involvement of cathepsins in immune cells, particularly T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils, as well as their contribution to immune-related diseases. In this review, we systematically examine the impact of cathepsins on the immune system and their mechanistic roles in cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic strategies for these conditions.

Keywords: Autoimmune diseases; Cancer therapy; Cathepsins in immune cells; Infectious diseases.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

81974469 and 81672635/The National Natural Science Foundation of China