Targeting Cathepsin Z suppresses endometriosis via the AMPK/mTOR-mediated autophagy and apoptosis axis.

Mengjun Zhang, Jialin Wang, Haodi Yue, Zidi Zhang, Lindong Zhang, Xin Zhao

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Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mengjun Zhang *Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Jialin Wang *Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Haodi Yue *Department of Center for Clinical Single Cell Biomedicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Zidi ZhangDepartment of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Lindong Zhang *Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Xin Zhao *Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The key biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and pathological mechanisms of endometriosis are urgently needed to be elucidated. The role of CTSZ in EM needs to be clarified, and the potential regulatory mechanisms and corresponding therapeutic drugs of CTSZ need to be explored to demonstrate the feasibility of CTSZ as a biomarker and therapeutic target. Methods: Based on transcriptome sequencing of local clinical tissue samples and public data, the key pathogenic gene ( Results: Conclusion: CTSZ is a potential pathogenic gene and therapeutic target. Its knockdown could activate AMPK and subsequently inhibit mTOR signaling, thereby inducing autophagy and synergistically promoting apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation and migration, and ultimately inhibiting endometriosis.

Indexed as

AMPK/mTOR signaling pathwayautophagycathepsinsendometriosistherapeutic targets

Identifiers

PMID42745853

DOI10.3389/fmed.2026.1681467

PMCPMC13574666

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.