Dieter Brömme


Canada Research Chair in Proteases and Diseases

Tier 1 - 2017-11-01
Renewed: 2011-10-01, 2018-01-01
The University of British Columbia
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

604-822-1787
dbromme@interchange.ubc.ca

Research involves

Understanding how proteases function and the roles they play in degenerative diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Research relevance

This research will lead to better treatments for a number of degenerative diseases and autoimmune disorders.

The Role of Proteases in Degenerative Diseases

Many diseases, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, are marked by a degeneration and/or inflammation of essential organs and tissues.

This degeneration is caused by excessive activities of proteases (enzymes that break down structural and regulatory proteins). A number of autoimmune diseases are also related to malfunctioning proteases.

Dr. Dieter Brömme, Canada Research Chair in Proteases and Disease, aims to better understand how proteases work, where and when they are produced in the body, how they destroy tissues and how they can be stopped from doing this. His particular interest is focused on a group of proteases called cathepsins, which play a critical role in musculoskeletal, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Many proteases are considered as potential drug targets for a large variety of diseases. By improving the knowledge of how proteases work and finding novel drugs inhibiting proteases, Dr. Brömme’s research could lead to new treatments for degenerative and inflammatory disorders.