The Role of Cysteine Cathepsins in Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance

Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Jul 23;20(14):3602. doi: 10.3390/ijms20143602.

Abstract

Cysteine cathepsins are lysosomal enzymes belonging to the papain family. Their expression is misregulated in a wide variety of tumors, and ample data prove their involvement in cancer progression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and in the occurrence of drug resistance. However, while their overexpression is usually associated with highly aggressive tumor phenotypes, their mechanistic role in cancer progression is still to be determined to develop new therapeutic strategies. In this review, we highlight the literature related to the role of the cysteine cathepsins in cancer biology, with particular emphasis on their input into tumor biology.

Keywords: cancer progression; cysteine cathepsins; drug resistance.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cathepsins / chemistry
  • Cathepsins / classification
  • Cathepsins / genetics*
  • Cathepsins / metabolism
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Death / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Extracellular Matrix / drug effects
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Lysosomes / drug effects
  • Lysosomes / enzymology*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / drug therapy
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / enzymology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / genetics*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / pathology
  • Protein Conformation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • Cathepsins