[Caspase-2: what do we know today?].

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is essential machinery for multicellular organisms. Apoptosis plays an important role in cell differentiation, damaged cell elimination and immune system homeostasis. This review is focused on various mechanisms of signal transduction through caspase-2 which believed to be one of the most enigmatical protease involved in apoptosis. Caspase-2 is activated upon stimulation by such agents as genotoxic stress, death receptors ligation, ER stress, metabolic changes, etc. In addition, caspase-2 may act as a tumor suppressor and has been implicated in cell response to oxidative stress and neurodegenerative progression during ischemic brain damage. Thus, variety of signal pathways triggered by caspase-2 place this protease apart from other members of the family and suggests a prominent role in apoptosis. Here, we analyse different functions of this unique caspase and discuss possible applications of accumulated knowledge in advanced oncology and medicine.