Thromb Haemost 2004; 91(03): 438-449
DOI: 10.1160/TH03-12-0784
Theme Issue Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and tumour growth, invasion, and metastasis

Authors

  • Michelle K.V. Durand

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Julie S. Bødker

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Anni Christensen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Daniel M. Dupont

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Martin Hansen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Jan K. Jensen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Signe Kjelgaard

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Lisa Mathiasen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Katrine E. Pedersen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Sune Skeldal

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Troels Wind

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Peter A. Andreasen

    1   Department of Molecular Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark

Financial support: The Danish Cancer Society, the Danish Research Agency, the Danish Cancer Research Foundation, the Novo-Nordisk Foundation and the Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center at the University of Aarhus.
Further Information

Publication History

Received 23 December 2003

Accepted after revision 19 January 2004

Publication Date:
05 December 2017 (online)

Preview

Summary

In recent decades, evidence has been accumulating showing the important role of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in growth, invasion, and metastasis of malignant tumours. The evidence comes from results with animal tumour models and from the observation that a high level of uPA in human tumours is associated with a poor patient prognosis. It therefore initially came as a surprise that a high tumour level of the uPA inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is also associated with a poor prognosis, the PAI-1 level in fact being one of the most informative biochemical prognostic markers. We review here recent investigations into the possible tumour biological role of PAI-1, performed by animal tumour models, histological examination of human tumours, and new knowledge about the molecular interactions of PAI-1 possibly underlying its tumour biological functions. The exact tumour biological functions of PAI-1 remain uncertain but PAI-1 seems to be multifunctional as PAI-1 is expressed by multiple cell types and has multiple molecular interactions. The potential utilisation of PAI-1 as a target for anti-cancer therapy depends on further mapping of these functions.