Identifying protease-activated targets and exploring therapeutic applications

Introduction Proteases are essential enzymes that regulate protein turnover and activate signaling pathways through targeted peptide bond cleavage. While traditionally regarded as degradative agents, proteases are now recognized for their diverse roles in health and disease, particularly in cancer and viral infections. Advances in high-throughput, mass spectrometry-based technologies have enabled proteome-wide identification of protease substrates, revealing numerous potential therapeutic targets. As large-scale approaches yield expansive substrate lists, it is increasingly important to understand the roles of disease-related proteases within their specific biological contexts.