title: Heparanase involvement in physiology and disease.
abstract: Heparanase is an endoglycosidase that degrades heparan sulfate on the cell surface and extracellular matrix. The physiological functions of heparanase include heparan sulfate turnover, embryo development, hair growth, and wound healing. Heparanase is implicated in a variety of pathologies, such as tumor growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, inflammation, and glomerular diseases. Heparanase overexpression in a variety of malignant tumors suggests that it could be a target for anti-cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. nicola.nasser@gmail.com
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Nasser
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006493:Heparin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000099175:Heparanase
chemical_list: D005966:Glucuronidase; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D006493:Heparin; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; D011498:Protein Precursors; D000099175:Heparanase