Ac-DEVD-CHO is a potent inhibitor of the Group II caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7 (K_is = 0.23 and 1.6 nM, respectively).^1,2Notably, it also inhibits other caspases (K_is = 18, 1710, 132, 205, 31, 0.92, 60, and 12 nM for caspases-1, -2, -4, -5, -6, -8, -9, and -10, respectively).¹Caspase inhibitors in the aldehyde form, like this compound, are typically reversible, whereas methyl ketone forms, like Ac-DEVD-CMK , are irreversible.¹Caspase inhibitors interfere with the initiation of apoptosis and have numerous possible clinical applications.³

1.Garcia-Calvo, M., Peterson, E.P., Leiting, B., et al.Inhibition of human caspases by peptide-based and macromolecular inhibitorsJ. Biol. Chem.273(49)32608-32613(1998) 2.Talanian, R.V., Quinlan, C., Trautz, S., et al.Substrate specificities of caspase family proteasesJ. Biol. Chem.272(15)9677-9682(1997) 3.Nicholson, D.W., Ali, A., Thornberry, N.A., et al.Identification and inhibition of the ICE/CED-3 protease necessary for mammalian apoptosisNature37637-43(1995)