Description
Cathepsin K, a member of the papain family of cysteine proteases, acts upon proteins such as collagen, AL amyloid, kinin and elastin. It is a lysosomal protease expressed primarily in osteoclasts, but also in other cell types such as macrophages. It functions in bone remodeling and is implicated in disease states such as atherosclerosis, arthritis and pycnodysostosis