What are protease inhibitors?

Protease inhibitors are substances utilized to shield protein samples against degradation by proteases during isolation, ensuring the preservation of cell lysates and protein samples. Protease inhibitors are categorized based on the protease they target (aspartic, serine, metalloprotease, cysteine, threonine, and trypsin) or their mode of action. 

In medicine, protease inhibitors are medications that block the cleavage of polyproteins into functional proteins. They are used as drugs to fight viral infections by blocking the virus's ability to replicate. For example, they are used to treat HIV/AIDS, Covid-19, and hepatitis C. Protease inhibitors hinder the mechanism of protease enzymes, preventing them from cleaving proteins into their active forms. This disrupts the virus's ability to replicate and produce more infectious copies, thus halting its spread within the body.