Caspases are key molecules of apoptosis and the inflammatory response. Up-regulation of the caspase cascade contributes to human pathologies such as neurodegenerative and immune disorders. Thus, blocking the excessive apoptosis by pharmacological inhibitors seems promising for therapeutic interventions in such diseases. Caspase inhibitors, both natural and artificial, have been used as research tools and have helped to define the role of the individual caspases in apoptosis and in non-apoptotic processes. Moreover, some caspase inhibitors have demonstrated their therapeutic efficiency in the reduction of cell death and inflammation in animal models of human diseases. However, no drug based on caspase inhibition has been approved on the market until now. Thus, the development of therapeutic approaches that specifically target caspases remains a great challenge and is now the focus of intense biological and clinical interest. Here, we provide a brief review of recent knowledge about pharmacological caspase inhibitors with special focus on their proposed clinical applications.

Hospital Na Bulovce Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics CAS v v i Brno Czech Republic Institute of Analytical Chemistry CAS v v i Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics CAS v v i Brno Czech Republic Regional Centre of Applied Molecular Oncology Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics CAS v v i Brno Czech Republic University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Czech Republic