About this Research Topic
Proteolytic enzymes are crucial for cell life, playing key roles in different cellular functions to maintain the physiological status of some of the most important biological processes, such as ECM remodeling, digestion, reproduction, modulation of inflammatory and immunosuppressive processes, etc. Essentially, these enzymes act by degrading peptide linkage between specific amino acids so and modulating the target protein activity. Even if proteolytic enzymes are very important, their uncontrolled activity could be really dangerous: depending on the biological setting, the activity and interaction of these proteases within the stromal microenvironment can either promote or restrict tumor growth. Serine proteases, which represent the most abundant fraction of degradome, are so named for the presence of nucleophilic serine amino acid in the enzyme's active site.
A deeper look into the molecular processes that rule the complex interplay between tumor cells and the stromal microenvironment is critical for understanding cancer biology. Since serine proteases interact with other proteases, kinases, chemokines, growth factors, etc., they are able to modulate the tumor-stroma interface during malignant development. It might be relevant to find out the role of these proteases in tumor microenvironment and to understand their position, for example as diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets. By manipulating the spatio-temporal diffusion of serine proteases with specific inhibitors (commercial or natural), researchers could observe critical changes within the tumor microenvironment and among cell types that constitute it. This goal could also be improved by recreating in vitro 2D or 3D models (i.e. organoids, natural scaffolds), that can mimic the biological environment surrounding cells of interest. Moreover, it could be useful to understand which is the type of intercellular communication that is most used by specific serine proteases such as autocrine, paracrine, or juxtacrine signaling.
In this Research Topic, we are inviting articles that address these themes:
• Clarification of serine proteases specificity in cancer types, illustrating the tissue and time distribution of them.
• Study of the kinetic properties of specific serine proteases, using appropriate colorimetric or fluorescent substrates.
• Modulation of serine proteases diffusion in cancer microenvironment, using commercial or biological/natural compounds that inhibit the proteases activity.
• Understand the role of serine proteases as diagnostic, progression, or therapeutic markers in cancer.
• Implementation of 3D cell and tissue models, recreating the space where serine protease and target protein naturally act.
• Development of drugs that could benefit from the proteolytic activity of serine proteases in tumor microenvironment.
A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this link.
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
A deeper look into the molecular processes that rule the complex interplay between tumor cells and the stromal microenvironment is critical for understanding cancer biology. Since serine proteases interact with other proteases, kinases, chemokines, growth factors, etc., they are able to modulate the tumor-stroma interface during malignant development. It might be relevant to find out the role of these proteases in tumor microenvironment and to understand their position, for example as diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets. By manipulating the spatio-temporal diffusion of serine proteases with specific inhibitors (commercial or natural), researchers could observe critical changes within the tumor microenvironment and among cell types that constitute it. This goal could also be improved by recreating in vitro 2D or 3D models (i.e. organoids, natural scaffolds), that can mimic the biological environment surrounding cells of interest. Moreover, it could be useful to understand which is the type of intercellular communication that is most used by specific serine proteases such as autocrine, paracrine, or juxtacrine signaling.
In this Research Topic, we are inviting articles that address these themes:
• Clarification of serine proteases specificity in cancer types, illustrating the tissue and time distribution of them.
• Study of the kinetic properties of specific serine proteases, using appropriate colorimetric or fluorescent substrates.
• Modulation of serine proteases diffusion in cancer microenvironment, using commercial or biological/natural compounds that inhibit the proteases activity.
• Understand the role of serine proteases as diagnostic, progression, or therapeutic markers in cancer.
• Implementation of 3D cell and tissue models, recreating the space where serine protease and target protein naturally act.
• Development of drugs that could benefit from the proteolytic activity of serine proteases in tumor microenvironment.
A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this link.
Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords: tumor microenvironment, serine proteases diffusion, tumor markers, kinetic assays, 3D model
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
