PURPOSE: Increased expression of urokinase (uPA), a member of the serine protease family, is an effector of metastatic cascade and has been reported in various malignancies, including breast cancer. uPA overexpression in cancer tissues was correlated with a more aggressive phenotype and it is considered a strong and independent unfavorable prognostic factor in breast cancer. METHODS: Using real-time PCR assay, we analyzed uPA expression of malignant and benign breast nodular lesions versus healthy tissues (normal breast and lymphocytes). RESULTS: We found that besides breast cancer nodule, normal mammary gland and lymphocytes overexpressed uPA too. Tissues obtained from women with benign lesions expressed homogeneous and lower uPA. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, although uPA overexpression is typical of cancer tissues, it could be considered as a feature of the whole organism affected by cancer. On the basis of these first results, uPA could be considered for further studies as a possible useful therapeutic target in breast cancer.
PURPOSE: Increased expression of urokinase (uPA), a member of the serine protease family, is an effector of metastatic cascade and has been reported in various malignancies, including breast cancer. uPA overexpression in cancer tissues was correlated with a more aggressive phenotype and it is considered a strong and independent unfavorable prognostic factor in breast cancer. METHODS: Using real-time PCR assay, we analyzed uPA expression of malignant and benign breast nodular lesions versus healthy tissues (normal breast and lymphocytes). RESULTS: We found that besides breast cancer nodule, normal mammary gland and lymphocytes overexpressed uPA too. Tissues obtained from women with benign lesions expressed homogeneous and lower uPA. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, although uPA overexpression is typical of cancer tissues, it could be considered as a feature of the whole organism affected by cancer. On the basis of these first results, uPA could be considered for further studies as a possible useful therapeutic target in breast cancer.
Authors: Philippe Leissner; Thibault Verjat; Thomas Bachelot; Malick Paye; Alexander Krause; Alain Puisieux; Bruno Mougin Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2006-08-31 Impact factor: 4.430
Authors: Swapna Asuthkar; Victoria Stepanova; Tatiana Lebedeva; Aixuan L Holterman; Norman Estes; Douglas B Cines; Jasti S Rao; Christopher S Gondi Journal: Mol Biol Cell Date: 2013-07-17 Impact factor: 4.138