Abstract
Caspases are a group of cysteine dependent aspartate-specific proteases. Originally found as the homolog of Ced-3 in C. elegans, 14 caspases have now been identified in mammals to date. Caspases play important roles in both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and interact with the non-caspase apoptotic pathways. A number of recent published observations have suggested a strong association between apoptosis, age-related diseases and aging. Findings from our group and others reveal a strong correlation between alterations in caspase activity and aging. In this view point, we summarize current knowledge of the connection between caspases and aging observed in a variety of model systems from cultured cells in vitro to the in vivo models of rodents and humans.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 357-366 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Ageing Research Reviews |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2003 |
Keywords
- Aging
- Apoptosis
- Caspase