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Caspase-2: an orphan enzyme out of the shadows

Oncogene volume 36, pages 5441–5444 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Caspase-2 has been embodied as an initiator or executioner protease in diverse apoptotic scenarios. However, accumulating evidence is challenging this view, pertaining to its true role. The enzyme’s catalytic activity is currently implicated in various functions required for correct cell proliferation, such as counteracting genomic instability, as well as suppressing tumorigenesis. Here, apart from summarizing the latest observations in caspase-2-related research, we make an attempt to reconcile these findings and discuss their implications for future directions.

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Acknowledgements

The work in the authors’ laboratories is supported by grants from the Swedish and Stockholm Cancer Societies, the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, the Swedish Research Council. BZ was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (14-25-00056-II) and the Russian President Fund (grant number NSH-7082.2016).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    J Forsberg, B Zhivotovsky & M Olsson

  2. Faculty of Fundamental Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    B Zhivotovsky

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  1. J Forsberg
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Correspondence to B Zhivotovsky.

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Forsberg, J., Zhivotovsky, B. & Olsson, M. Caspase-2: an orphan enzyme out of the shadows. Oncogene 36, 5441–5444 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2017.169

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