Elastase

Elastase is a group of serine proteases that include the macrophage elastase, the fibroblast elastase, the neutrophil elastase, and the pancreatic elastase. Elastase can not only cleave the important connective tissue protein elastin, but also facilitate the degradation of the extracellular matrix such as fibronectin; laminin; collagens III, IV, and VI; and proteoglycans.

Mammalian elastases occur mainly in the pancreas and the phagocytes. Among non-mammalian elastases there is a great variety of bacterial metallo and serine elastases. The elastolytic activity varies from one elastase to another and is usually not correlated with the catalytic efficiency of these proteinases. There is a large number of natural (proteins) and synthetic elastase inhibitors. Elastases play a pathologic role in pulmonary emphysema, cystic fibrosis, infections, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.