The Calpain System and Cancer

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2011 Apr 22

PMID 21508973

Citations 174

Authors

Sarah J Storr

Neil O Carragher

Margaret C Frame

Tim Parr

Stewart G Martin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The calpains are a conserved family of cysteine proteinases that catalyse the controlled proteolysis of many specific substrates. Calpain activity is implicated in several fundamental physiological processes, including cytoskeletal remodelling, cellular signalling, apoptosis and cell survival. Calpain expression is altered during tumorigenesis, and the proteolysis of numerous substrates, such as inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB (IκB), focal adhesion proteins (including, focal adhesion kinase and talin) and proto-oncogenes (for example, MYC), has been implicated in tumour pathogenesis. Recent evidence indicates that the increased expression of certain family members might influence the response to cancer therapies, providing justification for the development of novel calpain inhibitors.

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