The urokinase plasminogen activator system in cancer: Implications for tumor angiogenesis and metastasis |
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Authors: | Andrew P Mazar Jack Henkin Ronald H Goldfarb |
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Institution: | Angstrom Pharmaceuticals, Department of Tumor Biology, 11585 Sorrento Valley Rd, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. mazar@angstrominc.com |
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Abstract: | Substantial evidence exists which implicates the urokinase plasminogen activator system urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA),
urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)] in the neo-vascularization,
invasion and metastasis of many solid tumors. Clinical studies have demonstrated an association between high levels of expression
of the components of this system in tumors and poor patient prognosis and outcome. Components of the uPA/uPAR system are differentially
expressed or activated on motile cells including invading tumor cells and leukocytes, and migrating endothelial cells. In
contrast, there is little or no expression on most normal, quiescent cells. Studies performed in vitro have demonstrated the
regulation of the expression of uPA and uPAR by growth and differentiation factors as well as by oncogenes. In this review,
we summarize recent findings on the role of the components of the uPA/uPAR system in angiogenesis, invasiveness and tumor
metastasis. The activities of this system in endothelial and leukocyte cell biology and the relevance of these activities
to angiogenesis and tumor metastasis will be considered. Recent experimental evidence obtained using inhibitors of uPA and
uPAR has validated this system as a therapeutic target for the development of anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic therapeutic
agents. These studies, as well as additional therapeutic and diagnostic implications for uPAR targeting, will be discussed.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | angiogenesis invasion metastasis PAI-1 plasminogen activator uPA uPAR |
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