Molecular and pharmacological validation of Cathepsin S as a novel target in cancer treatment

恶性癌症的特征是肿瘤能够侵入其正常周围组织，从而允许其发展和扩散，通常到远端部位/器官。这些继发性肿瘤的发展通常是患者死亡的原因。该提案旨在评估治疗阻断破坏性酶组织蛋白酶S在侵袭性肿瘤的发展和扩散中的潜力。这种蛋白酶由肿瘤和肿瘤相关细胞过度产生，抑制这种蛋白酶在未来可能证明与化疗剂联合使用不仅可以杀死癌细胞，而且可以防止这些继发性转移的扩散和播种。

Malignant cancer is hallmarked by the ability of the tumour to invade its normal surrounding tissue thus permitting its development and spread, frequently to distal sites/organs. The development of these secondary tumours is normally the cause of mortality in the patient. This proposal aims to evaluate the potential for the therapeutic blocking of a destructive enzyme, cathepsin S, in the development and spread of aggressive tumours. Over-produced by tumour and tumour associated cells, the inhibition of this protease may in the future prove useful in combination with chemotherapeutic agents to not only kill the cancer cells but to prevent the spread and seeding of these secondary metastases.