Cysteine cathepsins as therapeutic targets in inflammatory diseases.

Matej Vizovišek, Eva Vidak, Urban Javoršek, Georgy Mikhaylov, Andreja Bratovš, Boris Turk

Expert opinion on therapeutic targets 2020 Jun

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Introduction: Cysteine cathepsins are involved in the development and progression of numerous inflammation-associated diseases such as cancer, arthritis, bone and immune disorders. Consequently, there is a drive to progress research efforts focused on cathepsin use in diagnostics and as therapeutic targets in disease.Areas covered: This review discusses the potential of cysteine cathepsins as therapeutic targets in inflammation-associated diseases and recent advances in preclinical and clinical research. We describe direct targeting of cathepsins for treatment purposes and their indirect use in diagnostics.Expert opinion: The targeting of cysteine cathepsins has not translated into the clinic; this failure is attributed to off- and on-target side effects and/or the lack of companion biomarkers. This field now embraces developments in diagnostic imaging, the activation of prodrugs and antibody-drug conjugates for targeted drug delivery. The future lies in improved molecular tools and therapeutic concepts that will find a wide spectrum of uses in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Citation

Matej Vizovišek, Eva Vidak, Urban Javoršek, Georgy Mikhaylov, Andreja Bratovš, Boris Turk. Cysteine cathepsins as therapeutic targets in inflammatory diseases. Expert opinion on therapeutic targets. 2020 Jun;24(6):573-588