Sheddase

Sheddase is a protein which cleaves membrane proteins at the cell surface and therefore releases soluble ectodomains.

Actually sheddases are membrane bound enzymes, usually members of the ADAM ("a disintegrin and metalloprotease") family, that cut off, shed, extracellular portions of transmembrane proteins. This can activate the transmembrane protein if it is a receptor (Her 2 for instance), or cut off the part of the transmembrane protein which has already bound an agonist (in the case of EGFR for instance), allowing this agonist to go and stimulate a receptor on another cell. Hence sheddases demultiply the yield of agonists. Sheddase inhibitors active on ADAM 10 and 17 can potentiate anti cancer therapy. This is detailed in the HealthValue link below.