Ctsw - cathepsin W

This gene encodes a member of the peptidase C1 (papain) family of cysteine proteases. The encoded preproprotein is proteolytically processed to generate a mature protein product. Expression of the encoded protein is upregulated following lymphocyte activation. Data from a human cell line suggests that the encoded enzyme may be important for viral entry into host cells. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2015]