This book provides vital information on a class of enzymes that have emerged as key drug targets in a number of human diseases, including HIV/AIDS, Hypertension, Cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. There is a gap in information due to the lack of recent international meetings on this subject and, thus, no recent summaries of current research have emerged. The book contains up-to-date information, especially with the genomics revolution of recent years, and includes new proteomics techniques. The story of this enzyme family also includes the most significant efforts in computer-aided drug discovery and structure-based drug design. With contributions from experts in the field, the book is edited by the previous President of the International Proteolysis Society, whose academic career in the field has spanned 35 years.

Dipeptidyl peptidases: Substrates and therapeutic targeting in human health and disease; The Metalloproteases Meprin ? and ?: Pathophysiological roles in Inflammation, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Fibrosis; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II as a Therapeutic Target; The Role of Proteolytically Inactive Serine Proteases from Sarcoptes scabiei in Complement Evasion; Targeting Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) for Diabetes and Cancer Therapy; Discovery of the Cysteine Protease Cathepsin B as a Drug Target for Alzheimer's Disease; Plasmodium falciparum Neutral Aminopeptidases: Development of novel anti-malarials by understanding enzyme structure; Blood-feeding human hookworm proteases; Structural Mechanisms of Inactivation in Proteolytically Inactive Serine Proteases from Sarcoptes scabiei; The Aspartic Proteinases from the Malaria Parasite: Structure and Function of the Plasmepsins