Under physiological (aging) and pathological (diabetes) conditions, overexpression of elastases, including cathepsin S and neutrophil elastase, as well as increased activity of metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), including cysteine proteases (cathepsin S), serine proteases (neutrophil elastase), and metalloproteinases (MMP9), results in elastin degradation and the production of elastin-derived peptide (EDPs), which are aging markers20. Here, ELANE is linked to diabetes mellitus.