Publisher Summary This chapter presents evidence that calpain over activation may be a
key component in a number of disorders. The common theme for most of these disorders is
cellular Ca 2+ overload. The calpains can be found in the cytosolic compartment and can
also be identified in the plasma membrane and other organelle membranes. Both isoforms
contain two subunits. Calpain appears to be an ideal pharmaceutical target, as this protease
is most active during pathological events. The current challenge is to identify cell-permeable …