OBJECTIVE Cardiomyopathy is among the leading causes of death from systemic sclerosis (SSc). Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)-deficient mice have been recently reported to display important histopathological hallmarks of SSc, including dermal fibrosis, reduced dermal capillary density, and pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we investigated whether uPAR-deficient mice could display th...

BACKGROUND Medulloblastoma is a highly invasive cancer of central nervous system diagnosed mainly in children. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) are over expressed in several cancers and well established for their roles in tumor progression. The present study is aimed to determine the consequences of targeting these molecules on medulloblasto...

Pancreatic carcinomas express high levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR), both of which mediate cell migration and invasion. We investigated the hypotheses that (a) insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)– and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)–mediated migration and invasion of human pancreatic carcinoma cells require uPA and uPAR function and (b) inhibition of ...

Cadmium exposure has been linked to human cancers, including stomach cancer. In this study, the effects of cadmium on urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression in human gastric cancer cells and the underlying signal transduction pathways were investigated. Cadmium induced uPAR expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Cadmium also induced uPAR promoter acti...

The binding of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) to its receptor (uPAR) initiates a proteolytic cascade facilitating the activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which in turn degrades the extracellular matrix. These processes have an established role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Our previous work revealed an inverse association between glioma invasion and the expression of uP...

The angiogenic potential of a cell requires dynamic reorganization of the cytoskeletal architecture that involves the interaction of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) with the extracellular matrix. This study focuses on the effect of uPAR deficiency (uPAR-/-) on angiogenic function and associated cytoskeletal organization. Utilizing murine endothelial cells, it was observed t...

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) has been shown to be of special importance during cancer invasion and metastasis. However, currently, tissue samples are needed for measurement of uPAR expression limiting the potential as a clinical routine. Therefore, non-invasive methods are needed. In line with this, uPAR has recently been identified as a very promising imaging target can...

OBJECTIVE The urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its specific receptor (uPAR) are a potent multifunctional system involved in vascular remodeling. The goal of the study was to unravel the mechanisms of uPA/uPAR-directed vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation. METHODS AND RESULTS Using cultured human primary VSMCs, we identified a new molecular mechanism controlling phe...

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is overexpressed in the tumor–stromal invasive microenvironment in many human cancers, including medulloblastoma. The role of uPAR in tumor progression and angiogenesis has been well characterized. Previously, in medulloblastoma cells, we showed that ionizing radiation (IR)–induced uPAR is a potent activator of cancer stem cell (CSC)–like pro...

Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a GPI anchored cell surface protein that is closely associated with invasion, migration, and metastasis of cancer cells. Many functional extracellular proteins and transmembrane receptors interact with uPAR. However, few studies have examined the association of uPAR with cytoplasm proteins. We previously used yeast two-hybrid screening to isola...