Abstract
Bikunin is a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor predominantly found in human amniotic fluid. In cancers, administration of bikunin may block tumor cell invasion by a direct inhibition of tumor cell-associated plasmin activity as well as by inhibiting urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression at the gene and protein levels, possibly through suppression of CD44 dimerization and/or the MAP kinase signaling cascade. Treatment of cancer patients with bikunin may be beneficial in the adjuvant setting to delay the onset of metastasis development and/or in combination with cytotoxic agents to improve treatment efficacy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / pharmacology
-
Cell Membrane / metabolism
-
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
-
Clinical Trials as Topic
-
Female
-
Humans
-
Hyaluronan Receptors / chemistry
-
Hyaluronan Receptors / metabolism
-
Membrane Glycoproteins / administration & dosage
-
Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry
-
Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
-
Membrane Glycoproteins / pharmacology*
-
Neoplasm Metastasis
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
-
Ovarian Neoplasms / surgery
-
Protease Inhibitors / administration & dosage
-
Protease Inhibitors / chemistry
-
Protease Inhibitors / metabolism
-
Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology*
-
Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / administration & dosage
-
Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / chemistry
-
Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / metabolism
-
Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean / pharmacology*
-
Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / antagonists & inhibitors
Substances
-
Hyaluronan Receptors
-
Membrane Glycoproteins
-
Protease Inhibitors
-
SPINT2 protein, human
-
Trypsin Inhibitor, Kunitz Soybean
-
Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator