Thromb Haemost 2005; 93(04): 631-640
DOI: 10.1160/TH05-01-0033
Theme Issue Article
Schattauer GmbH

Historical analysis of PAI-1 from its discovery to its potential role in cell motility and disease

Authors

  • Claudia Dellas

    1   The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Division of Vascular Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
  • David J. Loskutoff

    1   The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Division of Vascular Biology, La Jolla, California, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Received 17 January 2005

Accepted after revision 26 January 2005

Publication Date:
14 December 2017 (online)

Preview

Summary

Although plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) is one of the primary regulators of the fibrinolytic system, it also has dramatic effects on cell adhesion, detachment and migration. PAI-1 also differs from other serine protease inhibitors (serpins) in that it is a trace protein in plasma, it has a short half-life in vivo, its synthesis is highly regulated, and it binds to the adhesive glycoprotein vitronectin (VN) with high affinity and specificity. These unique and diverse properties of PAI-1 probably account for the many observations in the literature that correlate abnormalities in PAI-1 gene expression with a variety of pathological conditions. In this review, we discuss the discovery, origin, properties and regulation of PAI-1, and then speculate about its potential role in vascular disease, fibrosis, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, and cancer.