Mast cell proteases: multifaceted regulators of inflammatory disease

G Pejler, E Rönnberg, I Waern… - Blood, The Journal of …, 2010 - ashpublications.org
G Pejler, E Rönnberg, I Waern, S Wernersson
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2010ashpublications.org
Mast cells (MCs) are currently receiving increased attention among the scientific community,
largely because of the recent identification of crucial functions for MCs in a variety of
disorders. However, it is in many cases not clear exactly how MCs contribute in the
respective settings. MCs express extraordinarily high levels of a number of proteases of
chymase, tryptase, and carboxypeptidase A type, and these are stored in high amounts as
active enzymes in the MC secretory granules. Hence, MC degranulation leads to the …
Abstract
Mast cells (MCs) are currently receiving increased attention among the scientific community, largely because of the recent identification of crucial functions for MCs in a variety of disorders. However, it is in many cases not clear exactly how MCs contribute in the respective settings. MCs express extraordinarily high levels of a number of proteases of chymase, tryptase, and carboxypeptidase A type, and these are stored in high amounts as active enzymes in the MC secretory granules. Hence, MC degranulation leads to the massive release of fully active MC proteases, which probably have a major impact on any condition in which MC degranulation occurs. Indeed, the recent generation and evaluation of mouse strains lacking individual MC proteases have indicated crucial contributions of these to a number of different disorders. MC proteases may thus account for many of the effects ascribed to MCs and are currently emerging as promising candidates for treatment of MC-driven disease. In this review, we discuss these findings.
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