Bioinformatics-driven insights into the role of cathepsins in tumour biology

This thesis examines the molecular roles of two cysteine cathepsins, cathepsin S (CTSS) and cathepsin V (CTSV), with a focus on their relevance to breast cancer biology and disease aggressiveness.</div><div>Using bioinformatic approaches, CTSS expression was examined across a range of malignancies, where elevated expression was associated with features of aggressive disease.

Further analyses identified links between CTSS expression patterns and cellular responses to genomic stress. Complementary <i>in vitro </i>experiments demonstrated that genotoxic stress conditions can modulate CTSS expression in breast cancer cell models and influence invasive cellular behaviours, supporting a functional role for CTSS in tumour progression. These findings suggest that CTSS activity is responsive to perturbations in genome maintenance pathways, although the precise regulatory mechanisms require further investigation.</div><div>This thesis also explores the role of CTSV in breast cancer.