Translational research on u-PAR.
The urokinase receptor (u-PAR) is one of the most critical molecules in migration, invasion, intravasation, and metastasis and is also a key regulator between tumour cell proliferation and dormancy. It is overexpressed in most human solid cancer types, which has led to increasing translational and clinical research on this molecule. The current review discusses in particular the in vivo, translational, and putative clinical relevance of u-PAR in the context of this latest development. It outlines how u-PAR is already being used and might increasingly be applied as a diagnostic tool, for example, in distinguishing benign from malignant neoplasms, as a molecular marker for predicting clinical response to chemotherapy or novel targeted therapy, and finally as a promising tool for the development of novel cancer therapeutics.
Allgayer
Heike
H
Dept. Experimental Surgery/Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors (Collaboration Unit German Cancer Research Center-DKFZ-Heidelberg), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. heike.allgayer@umm.de
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator