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Calpain–calpastatin system and cancer progression
Author(s) -
Nian Hong,
Ma Binyun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.993
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1469-185X
pISSN - 1464-7931
DOI - 10.1111/brv.12686
Subject(s) - calpain , calpastatin , biology , carcinogenesis , angiogenesis , cancer cell , microbiology and biotechnology , metastasis , tumor progression , cancer , cancer research , cell growth , biochemistry , genetics , enzyme
The calpain system is required by many important physiological processes, including the cell cycle, cytoskeleton remodelling, cellular proliferation, migration, cancer cell invasion, metastasis, survival, autophagy, apoptosis and signalling, as well as the pathogenesis of a wide range of disorders, in which it may function to promote tumorigenesis. Calpains are intracellular conserved calcium‐activated neutral cysteine proteinases that are involved in mediating cancer progression via catalysing and regulating the proteolysis of their specific substrates, which are important signalling molecules during cancer progression. μ‐calpain, m‐calpain, and their specific inhibitor calpastatin are the three molecules originally identified as comprising the calpain system and they contain several crucial domains, specific motifs, and functional sites. A large amount of data supports the roles of the calpain–calpastatin system in cancer progression via regulation of cellular adhesion, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and cellular survival and death, as well as inflammation and angiogenesis during tumorigenesis, implying that the inhibition of calpain activity may be a potential anti‐cancer intervention strategy targeting cancer cell survival, invasion and chemotherapy resistance.