CaspNeuroD: a knowledgebase of predicted caspase cleavage sites in human proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases

A variety of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) have been associated with deregulated caspase activation that leads to neuronal death. Caspases appear to be involved in the molecular pathology of NDs by directly cleaving important proteins. For instance, several proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease, including β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins, are known to be cleaved by caspases. Therefore, cell death pathway may play a central role in many neurological diseases, and targeting the important proteins that control the cell survival and death may potentially represent a therapeutic approach for chronic neurodegenerative disorders.