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Transglutaminse 2 and EGGL, the protein cross-link formed by Transglutaminse 2, as therapeutic targets for disabilities of old age.
Rejuvenation Res. 2013 Aug 22. [Epub ahead of print] doi:
Bains W
Abstract:
.....In this paper I review the role of EGGL, a cross-link formed by transglutaminase enzymes, and particularly the widely expressed isozyme TG2, in the aging ECM. There is little direct data on EGGL accumulation with age, and no direct evidence of a role of EGGL in the aging of the ECM outwith pathology. However, several lines of circumstantial evidence suggest that EGGL accumulates with age, and its association with pathology suggests that this might reflect degradation of ECM function. TG activity increases with age in many circumstances, ECM protein turnover is such that some EGGL made by TG is likely to remain in place for years if not decades in healthy tissue, and both EGGL and TG levels are enhanced by age-related diseases. If further research shows EGGL does accumulate with age, removing it could be of therapeutic benefit. I review blockade of TG and active removal of EGGL as therapeutic strategies, and conclude that both have promise. EGGL removal may have benefit for acute fibrotic diseases such as tendinopathy, and for treating generalized decline in ECM function with old age. Extracellular TG2 and EGGL are therefore therapeutic targets both for specific and more generalized diseases of aging.