Cathepsin B inhibition interferes with metastatic potential of human melanoma: an in vitro and in vivo study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cathepsins represent a group of proteases involved in determining the metastatic potential of cancer cells. Among these are cysteinyl- (e.g. cathepsin B and cathepsin L) and aspartyl-proteases (e.g. cathepsin D), normally present inside the lysosomes as inactive proenzymes. Once released in the extracellular space, cathepsins contribute to metastatic potential by facilitating cell migration and invasiveness.

Results

In the present work we first evaluated, by in vitro procedures, the role of cathepsins B, L and D, in the remodeling, spreading and invasiveness of eight different cell lines: four primary and four metastatic melanoma cell lines. Among these, we considered two cell lines derived from a primary cutaneous melanoma and from a supraclavicular lymph node me

SUBMITTER: Matarrese P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2925371 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature