Selection of Protease Inhibitors to Prevent or Attenuate Inflammatory Processes.

摘要

Inflammation is a coordinated response aimed at the protection of the host at the onset of infection. In this process, human and bacterial proteases play a critical role. The regulation of human proteases is carried out by pro- and anti-inflammatory signals. Deregulation of human (metallo)peptidases results in many pathological reactions such as microbial invasion or inflammatory tissue damage. Also bacterial proteases can influence the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory signals and thus cause tissue damage. A disadvantage of selecting a bacterial protease inhibitor is that inflammation caused by other biowarfare agents like viruses or toxins can not be treated. It would be more appropriate to select human proteases which have a function in the coordinated response aimed at the protection of the host at the onset of an inflammatory response. The kallikrein-kinin system can modulate both the innate and adaptive immunity and could therefore represent a promising approach for the development of novel strategies to treat bacterial infections. Efforts in future research in which the blockade of kinin receptors only or in combination with other compounds might result in the development of treatment to protect the host at the onset of infection.