Cathepsins mediate tumor metastasis

Figure 1 Role of cathepsins in tumor metastasis process. Cathpesin E, F, G, Z promote cell tumorigenesis; tumor cells are induced proliferation by cathpesin B, D, E, X; cathpesin X mediates tumor cell epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT); cathpesin A, B, D induces tumor cells dissemination; cathpesin B, K, L, Z degradate ECM, cathpesin B, D, H, L, S, Z increase the motility and invasive of tumor cell, and tumor cells invade to surrounding tissues, blood, and lymph vessels, and metastasize to distant sites; In metastatic sites, cathpesin B, D, H mediate tumor cell proliferation, cathpesin B, D, H, S mediate angiogenesis, and metastatic tumor forms.