Evaluation of new cathepsin B inhibitors (585.2)

Cathepsin B, a cysteine protease that naturally occurs in human cells, is primarily responsible in protein degradation and bone resorption. However, Cathepsin B has been observed in excessive concentrations in patients suffering from certain cancers, as well as Alzheimer's Disease. Though the direct involvement of Cathepsin B within these cells is not currently known, the potential medical benefits of reducing Cathepsin B activities on these cells are promising. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the activity of 5 new synthetic inhibitors of Cathepsin B and to observe the effectiveness of each inhibitor by determining their half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Effectiveness of each inhibitor was determined by the enzyme's ability to cleave the chromogenic substrate, N-Carbobenzoxy-L-Phenylalanyl-Arginine-4-nitroanilide hydrochloride. The activity of the enzyme was observed at 405 nm over a span of 3 minutes. A dose-response curve was then constructed to interpret the results. The benefi...