Presenter: Xiaoxiao Zang, PhD student in Oral Biology at the University at Buffalo
This video was submitted as part of the STEM for Everyone initiative hosted by the UB Women in STEM Cooperative (WISC) and UB Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE). Learn more at www.buffalo.edu/wise/stemforeveryone.
Cathepsin K is the predominant protease secreted by osteoclasts to degrades type I collagen, which is the main organic component of bone matrix. Excessive Cathepins K activity leads to bone destruction. Previous studies have reported that the collagenase activity of Cathepsin K can be inhibited by heparan sulfate (HS), but how HS interacts with Cathepsin K remains unknown. The purpose of the current study is to develop a HS-based novel therapeutic to inhibit Cathepsin K by investigating how HS regulates the structure and function of Cathepsin K.
