Caspase Cascade Pathway: New Poster Available

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All the posters in the Proteintech library are available in PDF format or can be requested as a hard copy.

Cascade Caspase Pathway Overview

Caspases, a family of endoproteases are critical links in cell regulatory networks controlling inflammation and cell death (1). Initiator caspases (caspase-2, -8, -9, -10, -11, and -12) cleave and activate downstream effector caspases (caspase-3, -6, and -7), which in turn execute apoptosis by cleaving targeted cellular proteins (2). Initiator caspases activate executioner caspases that subsequently coordinate their activities to demolish key structural proteins and activate other enzymes. 

Apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of many diseases, disruptions may contribute to tumor metastasis and the development of autoimmune diseases while the acceleration of apoptosis can cause neurodegenerative diseases. The extensive list of diseases (cancer, inflammatory disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease or Pyogenic Sterile Arthritis) associated with caspases suggests that the inappropriate activation of caspases and dysregulation of cell death and inflammatory pathways they control has dire consequences for human health (4).

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Related Antibodies

References 

1. Apoptosis: controlled demolition at the cellular level.
2. Initiator caspases in apoptosis signaling pathways.
3. Molecular mechanisms of caspase regulation during apoptosis.
4. Caspase functions in cell death and disease.