elastase

Elastase is an enzyme in the protease family, which means it breaks down proteins. Its name points to one important target: elastin, the protein that helps tissues such as the lungs, skin, and blood vessel walls stretch and spring back. In simple terms, elastase helps cut apart material that gives tissue its elasticity.

Elastase is not always harmful. Your body normally uses it in useful ways. The pancreas makes a form of elastase that helps digest proteins in the small intestine. Certain white blood cells, especially neutrophils, also release elastase to help break down damaged tissue and fight infection. In the right amount, this is part of normal repair and defense.

Problems appear when elastase activity is too high or not well controlled. In emphysema, for example, too much elastase from immune cells can damage the tiny air sacs in the lungs and make breathing harder. Extra elastase activity has also been linked to inflammation and tissue injury in other conditions.

You may also see this word in testing. A stool test called pancreatic elastase is used to check how well the pancreas is working, because low levels can suggest pancreatic insufficiency. Outside medicine, the term sometimes appears in skincare discussions because breaking down elastin is connected with visible aging. So the word usually refers either to a helpful digestive or immune enzyme, or to the tissue damage that can happen when its action goes too far.