Mustafa A, Elkhamisy F, Arghiani N, Pranjol MZI. Potential crosstalk between pericytes and cathepsins in the tumour microenvironment.
Biomed Pharmacother 2023;
164:114932. [PMID:
37236029 DOI:
10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114932]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, and as such, investigators are constantly exploring underlying mechanisms that drive its progression. One area of interest is the role of lysosomal enzymes, such as cathepsins, in regulating cancer growth and development in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Pericytes, a key component of vasculature, play a key role in regulating blood vessel formation in the TME, have been shown to be influenced by cathepsins and their activity. Although cathepsins such as cathepsins D and L have been shown to induce angiogenesis, currently no direct link is known between pericytes and cathepsins interaction. This review aims to shed light on the potential interplay between pericytes and cathepsins in the TME, highlighting the possible implications for cancer therapy and future research directions.
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