Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) represents a central molecule in pericellular proteolysis and is implicated in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes such as tissue remodelling, wound healing, tumor invasion, and metastasis. uPA binds with high affinity to a specific cell surface receptor, uPAR (CD87), via a well defined sequence within the N-terminal region of u...

The requirement for urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and uPA receptor (uPAR) in T lymphocyte migration is unknown. uPA(-/-) mice have fewer pulmonary lymphocytes in response to certain infections, but its unknown whether this is due to diminished recruitment. Primed, recipient mice were IT inoculated with Ag. Three days later, fluorescently labeled lymphoblasts from background-matched cont...

The serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its inhibitor, PAI-1, are key players in a proteolytic cascade involved in physiological and pathophysiological degradation and remodelling of the extracellular matrix. uPA, when bound to its cellular receptor uPA-R (CD87) efficiently converts plasminogen into the broad spectrum serine protease plasmin; its action on plasminogen...

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is an important mediator of cellular invasiveness. Specifically, cell surface receptor-bound uPA activates plasminogen to the potent general protease plasmin, which then degrades extracellular matrix or basement membrane either directly or via proteolytic activation of latent collagenases. Thus, cell surface uPA initiates an extracellular proteolytic c...

Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) are overexpressed and associated with the pathogenesis of multiple types of human malignancy. The aims of the present study were to investigate FOXM1 and uPA expression levels in human gastric cancer using tissue microarray techniques; determining their association with clinicopathological characteristics as well as their pr...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate whether c-Myc regulates expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) on hypoxia-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS VSMCs were isolated from thoracic aorta of wild-type (WT), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and uPA-deficient mice. Gene and protein expression levels were examined by reverse-transcription PCR an...

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is expressed at elevated levels in atherosclerotic human arteries, primarily in macrophages. Plasminogen (Plg), the primary physiologic substrate of uPA, is present at significant levels in blood and interstitial fluid. Both uPA and Plg have activities that could affect atherosclerosis progression. Moreover, correlations between increased Plg activatio...

Urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) may influence brain pathophysiology after injury. We studied disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and changes in the vasculature after a brain stab wound in uPA-deficient, uPA receptor-deficient, and PA inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) deficient mice. The extravasation of immunoglobulin was greater in PAI-1 deficient mice; less pronounced in uPA-deficient mi...

It is well documented that tumor suppressive maspin inhibits tumor cell invasion and extracellular matrix remodeling. Maspin is a cytosolic, cell surface-associated, and secreted protein in the serine protease inhibitor superfamily. Although several molecules have been identified as candidate intracellular maspin targets, the extracellular maspin target(s) remains elusive. Although maspin does ...