Current perspectives of inhibitors of granzyme B

Granzyme B is an important effector in the immune response induced by cytotoxic lymphocytes.Within the target cells, granzyme B rapidly activates apoptosis and induces cytotoxicity. It also has other im-portant extracellular functions. The self-adjusting of granzyme B is achieved mainly through interaction withits inhibitors belonging to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily. These endogenous serpins are significant dominators of homeostatic regulation in cytotoxic lymphocytes and some antigen presenting cells.In clinical medicine, they also mitigate autoimmune diseases and graft rejection pertinent to granzyme B death pathways. A lot of malignantly transformed cells have been reported to encode inhibitors of granzyme Bfor escaping apoptosis. Viruses have also co-evolved with the immune system to resist anti-virus infection,and several different mechanisms of granzyme B inhibitors have been implicated in these viral processes. Re-searches on natural and synthetic inhibitors of granzyme B should enable novel therapies based on selectiveregulation of the effector response in conditions as diverse as autoimmunity and cancer. They are also in-creasingly attracting attentions for their potential application value on anti-virus therapies. Key words: Granzyme B; Serpin