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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

A Microphysiological System to Study Leukocyte-Endothelial Cell Interaction during Inflammation
Published on: December 9, 2021
The metalloprotease ADAM17 in inflammation and cancer
Stefan Düsterhöft1, Juliane Lokau2, Christoph Garbers2
1Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Abstract:
Proteolytic cleavage of transmembrane proteins is an important post-translational modification that regulates the biological function of numerous transmembrane proteins. Among the 560 proteases encoded in the human genome, the metalloprotease A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) has gained much attention in recent years and has emerged as a central regulatory hub in inflammation, immunity and cancer development. In order to do so, ADAM17 cleaves a variety of substrates, among them the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R), the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and most ligands of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This review article provides an overview of the functions of ADAM17 with a special focus on its cellular regulation. It highlights the importance of ADAM17 to understand the biology of IL-6 and TNFα and their role in inflammatory diseases. Finally, the role of ADAM17 in the formation and progression of different tumor entities is discussed.
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