Anti-Mouse Cathepsin B Antibody

Cathepsin B (CTSB) is a papain-family cysteine protease that is normally located in lysosomes, and is a member of a superfamily of structurally similar tissue proteinases having a 25 kDa catalytic unit. Cathepsin B is synthesized as a preproenzyme and the primary pathways for its normal trafficking to the lysosome utilize mannose 6-phosphate receptors (MPRs). Mature cathepsin B has the ability to degrade several extracellular matrix components at both neutral and acidic pH and has been implicated in the progression of several human and rodent tumors progression and arthritis. Overexpression and altered trafficking of cathepsin B characterize the malignant phenotype of tumor cells, and thus CTSB is suggested as a tumor marker.