International Proteolysis Society in association with the International Conference on Protease Inhibitors--second general meeting.
Proteinases, their inhibitors, and receptors are multifactorial proteins, several of which function as growth factors, adherence factors, mobility factors or chemoattractants, in addition to their classical proteolytic function. In recent years, they have become novel and attractive targets for therapy and/or prognosis in patients afflicted with cancer, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, inflammation and defects in the blood clotting system. About 450 proteinases are known today, although more than 700 are expected to exist, estimated on the analyses of over 30 complete genomes of pro- and eukaryotic organisms. A small percentage (2%) of their genes can be assigned to protein families that contain proteinases. Among other topics in several sessions, the structure-function relationship of proteinases and their inhibitors was discussed. Synthetic small-weight proteinase inhibitors are undergoing preclinical and clinical cancer testing; promising results were reported on the diagnostic and prognostic potential of serine proteinases and their inhibitors in cancer. Thus, proteinases are promising targets for cancer therapy.