title: The protease inhibitor bikunin, a novel anti-metastatic agent.
abstract: Bikunin is a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor predominantly found in human amniotic fluid. In cancers, administration of bikunin may block tumor cell invasion by a direct inhibition of tumor cell-associated plasmin activity as well as by inhibiting urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression at the gene and protein levels, possibly through suppression of CD44 dimerization and/or the MAP kinase signaling cascade. Treatment of cancer patients with bikunin may be beneficial in the adjuvant setting to delay the onset of metastasis development and/or in combination with cytotoxic agents to improve treatment efficacy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama 1-20-1, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 431-3192, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C109148:SPINT2 protein, human; D014360:Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator