Editorial: Serine protease inhibitors and their therapeutic applications

Serine proteases are important signaling molecules and their dysregulation has been widely associated with pathologies ranging from cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders to cancer and neurological diseases. Undoubtedly, this class of enzymes represents an attractive target for bioactive molecules able to modulate their activity, thus contributing to the resolution of the abovementioned pathologies. Although many peptides/peptidomimetics, natural products and small-organic molecules have been reported in the literature as potent serine protease inhibitors, the identification of new selective inhibitors, as well as the pharmacological validation of established hits, are still a challenge in medicinal chemistry. This special issue does not aim to be comprehensive, but rather to highlight some increasingly important aspects of serine protease-associated diseases, as well as recent advances in the field.