Journal
FUTURE MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 21-34Publisher
FUTURE SCI LTD
DOI: 10.4155/FMC.09.4
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Department of Defense DOD [PC074031]
- National Institutes of Health [R01 CA 56586]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Until fairly recently, cathepsin K was recognized solely as a bone-resorbing enzyme expressed selectively in the osteoclast. Evidence of its requirement for normal bone remodeling has resulted in this protease receiving considerable attention from the pharmaceutical industry. In the last decade, intense research efforts were aimed at development of cathepsin K inhibitors for treatment of osteoporosis and other skeletal disorders associated with pathological bone loss. Emerging new evidence suggests that in addition to bone resorption, cathepsin K is involved in the turnover of extracellular matrix proteins in organs, such as the lung, thyroid and skin, and plays important roles in cardiovascular disease, inflammation and obesity. Discussion: This review highlights the physiological and pathophysiological implications of this potent protease, with a focus on recent developments in the design and use of cathepsin K inhibitors to target skeletal pathologies. Therapeutic implications of anticathepsin K drugs in the context of common links between bone disease and atherosclerosis are also discussed. Conclusion: The association of cathepsin K with skeletal and cardiovascular disorders offers intriguing future applications for inhibitors of this potent protease.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available