cathepsin

American

[kuh-thep-sin] / kəˈθɛp sɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

any of a class of intracellular proteolytic enzymes, occurring in animal tissue, especially the liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestine, that catalyze autolysis in certain pathological conditions and after death.

cathepsin British

/ kəˈθɛpsɪn /

noun

a proteolytic enzyme responsible for the autolysis of cells after death

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

catheptic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of cathepsin

1925–30; < Greek kathéps(ein) to digest ( kat- cat- ( def. ) + hépsein to boil) + -in ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When cathepsin activity is restored, liver cells become better equipped to process and eliminate harmful fats and waste.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

K11777 inhibits many cathepsin types, i.e. blocks their function.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

"In follow-up experiments, we proved our hypothesis that the compound prevents cathepsin L from cleaving and opening up the viral capsid," says Mara Klöhn.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The clinical potential of this test was also demonstrated by the detection of cathepsin B, a protease related to colorectal cancer, in three different tumor cell lines obtained from patients.

From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023