Cathepsin L increases invasion and migration of B16 melanoma

Background  

Most cancers express elevated protease levels which contribute to certain aspects of tumor behavior such as growth, metastatic spread, and angiogenesis. Elevation of the cathepsins of the cysteine protease family correlates with increased invasion of tumor cells. Cysteine proteases such as cathepsins B, H and L type participate in tumor cell invasion as extracellular proteases, yet are enzymes whose exact roles in metastasis are still being elucidated.