2005/10/22 by Steven M Harwood, Steven Harwood, Muhammad M Yaqoob +3
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Apoptosis #Biochemistry #Biology #Calpain #Calpain Protease Function and Regulation #Calpastatin #Caspase #Caspase 1 #Caspase 2 #Cell biology #Cell death mechanisms and regulation #Context (archaeology) #Cysteine protease #Enzyme #Genetics #Necrosis #Programmed cell death #Proteases #RNA regulation and disease
paper · doi:10.1258/000456305774538238
openalex publication_date 2005/10/22 · crossref created 2005/10/22 · crossref issued 2005/11/01 · crossref published 2005/11/01 · crossref published-online 2005/11/01 · crossref published-print 2005/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/04/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15 · crossref indexed 2026/08/02
Calpain and caspase are families of cysteine proteases that have important roles in the initiation, regulation and execution of cell death. The function of both groups of proteases in the progression of apoptotic and necrotic pathways is presented here in the context of a concise overview of regulated cell death. Many of the morphological differences between apoptotic and necrotic processes are thought to be as a consequence of the action of cysteine proteases. Recent studies suggest that caspase and calpain cascades are tightly interrelated and an appreciation of how these proteases cross-talk should enable a greater understanding of how the boundaries between apoptotic and necrotic cell death have become blurred. Furthermore, an assessment of the contribution that caspase and calpain make to human physiology and pathology is provided, with a description of how these proteases can be detected and quantified. Lastly, an evaluation is made of how caspase and calpain activation might be exploited diagnostically.