Caspases and neuroprotection.

Apoptotic cell death has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. The caspase family of cysteine proteases are involved both in the initiation and final execution of apoptosis. Inhibition of the caspase family prevents cell death in a number of models of neurodegenerative cell death in vivo and in vitro. This sparing of neurons does not always correlate with long-term functional recovery, possibly due to the limitations of the available inhibitors. In this review, the evidence for a neuroprotective role of caspase inhibition in models of Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischemia is critically evaluated.