Caspase

The caspases (from the English term cysteinyl-aspartate-cleaving proteases) are a group of cysteine proteases.

They are contained in the cytoplasm in an inactive form: the procaspases. The procaspases are then cleaved and dimerised to form active caspases.

An active caspase can activate other caspases. They are involved in the process of apoptosis that is one of the main types of programmed cell death during the development or maintenance of a body's homeostasis.