Granzymes regulate proinflammatory cytokine responses

Annette C. Wensink, C. Erik Hack, Niels Bovenschen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Granzymes (Grs) are serine proteases mainly produced by cytotoxic lymphocytes and are traditionally considered to cause apoptosis in tumor cells and virally infected cells. However, the cytotoxicity of several Grs is currently being debated, and additional, predominantly extracellular, functions of Grs in inflammation are emerging. Extracellular soluble Grs are elevated in the circulation of patients with autoimmune diseases and infections. Additionally, Grs are expressed by several types of immune cells other than cytotoxic lymphocytes. Recent research has revealed novel immunomodulatory functions of Grs. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the role of Grs in inflammation, highlighting their role in cytokine induction and processing.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)491-497
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume194
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015

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