The role of proteases during apoptosis.

The importance of proteases during apoptosis is becoming increasingly apparent. Because apoptosis contributes to a diverse variety of disease processes, understanding the roles played by proteases and their inhibitors might provide insight into the pathogenesis of these conditions and suggest novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss the involvement and role of specific proteases, substrates, and protease inhibitors that appear to participate in the apoptotic process.