Proteasome inhibitors are compounds that disrupt the function of the proteasome, a large protein complex responsible for degrading unneeded or damaged proteins in cells. The proteasome performs this task by catalyzing the breakdown of proteins tagged for degradation with ubiquitin. By inhibiting this catalytic activity, proteasome inhibitors can significantly affect cellular processes, leading to a build-up of proteins that can induce apoptosis, particularly in rapidly dividing cells like cancer cells.
