cathepsin: Meaning and Definition of

ca•thep•sin

Pronunciation: (ku-thep'sin), [key]
— n. Biochem.
  1. any of a class of intracellular proteolytic enzymes, occurring in animal tissue, esp. the liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestine, that catalyze autolysis in certain pathological conditions and after death.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.