Testicular Germ-Cell Cancer and Convertases

Abstract

Testicular germ cell cancer is the most common malignancy amongst young men. It is widely considered a “curable” form of cancer and, although its prevalence is not too high, it has been increasing since the 1970s. The main therapeutic approaches used to treat these tumors, which have not changed in the last 50 years, limit considerably the long-term quality of life of the survivors due to their side effects (increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other cancer types, decreased fertility, etc.). It is important to continue to research this condition in hopes of bettering that quality of life. Proprotein convertases are the proteases in charge of the maturation of a lot of (pro)proteins. They have multiple functions, so changes in their expression have been related to multiple pathologic states such as cancer or inflammation. A considerable number of their substrates play a part in the biogenesis and development of cancer, and convertase inhibition has been observed to slow the development of some tumors. Considering all this, it may be interesting to study the potential relevance of this protein family in the testes in order to use them as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in the future.