Laboratory of Odontogenesis and Osteogenesis, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetic, Brno, Czech Republic.
Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Apoptosis. 2024 Aug;29(7-8):938-966. doi: 10.1007/s10495-024-01976-z. Epub 2024 Jun 2.
Caspases are enzymes with protease activity. Despite being known for more than three decades, caspase investigation still yields surprising and fascinating information. Initially associated with cell death and inflammation, their functions have gradually been revealed to extend beyond, targeting pathways such as cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. These processes are also associated with disease mechanisms, positioning caspases as potential targets for numerous pathologies including inflammatory, neurological, metabolic, or oncological conditions. While in vitro studies play a crucial role in elucidating molecular pathways, they lack the context of the body's complexity. Therefore, laboratory animals are an indispensable part of successfully understanding and applying caspase networks. This paper aims to summarize and discuss recent knowledge, understanding, and challenges in caspase knock-out mice.
半胱天冬酶是具有蛋白酶活性的酶。尽管它们已经被研究了三十多年，但对半胱天冬酶的研究仍不断有令人惊讶和着迷的新发现。最初与细胞死亡和炎症相关，现在已经逐渐揭示出它们的功能超出了这些范畴，靶向细胞增殖、迁移和分化等途径。这些过程也与疾病机制有关，这使得半胱天冬酶成为许多疾病的潜在靶点，包括炎症、神经、代谢或肿瘤疾病。虽然体外研究在阐明分子途径方面起着至关重要的作用，但它们缺乏对体内复杂环境的考虑。因此，实验动物是成功理解和应用半胱天冬酶网络不可或缺的一部分。本文旨在总结和讨论半胱天冬酶敲除小鼠的最新知识、理解和挑战。
