In histopathology, cysteine proteases are often studied in the context of diseases. For instance, abnormal activity of cathepsins has been implicated in cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Elevated levels of certain cysteine proteases can serve as biomarkers for these conditions. Caspases are another focus in histopathology due to their role in apoptosis, which is a crucial factor in both normal tissue homeostasis and disease states such as cancer and autoimmune diseases.
