The involvement of the calpain family in cellular processes and in the pathophysiology of various diseases

Bulgarian Medical Journal, 2025, 19(4), 21-26.

A. Borisova, A. Grigoryan

Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MU – Pleven

Abstract. Calpains are intracellular Ca2+-dependent proteases involved in various cellular functions, including cell signalling, apoptosis, exocytosis, mitochondrial metabolism, and cytoskeletal remodelling. To date, 16 members of the calpain family have been discovered. They are divided into 2 groups: conventional (1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14) and tissue-specific (5, 6, 7, 10, 15, and 16), based on the content of EF-hand motif in the structure of domain IV. Impaired expression of various members of the calpain family and reduced activity of their inhibitor calpastatin are observed in various pathological conditions: cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, muscular dystrophy, diabetes mellitus and others. This review focuses on the structure of calpains, their functions and their involvement in the pathophysiology of various diseases.

Key words: calpain, calpastatin

Address for correspondence: Ademira Miroslavova Borisova, e-mail: ademira94@gmail.com