Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (CD87): Something Old, Something New
YIMIN GE, M. TAREK ELGHETANY
Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
ABSTRACT:
CD87 is a widely expressed receptor for urokinase plasminogen
activator (uPA) and plays a critical role in regulation
of cell-surface plasminogen activation. An expanding
body of evidence suggests that CD87 is involved in regulation
of diverse physiological and pathological processes,
including cellular adhesion, cell motility, angiogenesis,
tumor invasion, and tumor metastasis. These data characterize
CD87 as a pleiotropic molecule that mediates a wide
range of events beyond plasminogen activation through
extensive and complex interactions with other cell-surface
molecules, such as integrins and L-selectin. The association
of CD87 overexpression in tumor cells with tumor invasion
has attracted many researchers to exploration of the potential
therapeutic utility of CD87 by targeting binding of
CD87 to uPA, the interactions between CD87 and other
surface and matrix molecules, CD87 gene expression, and
posttranscriptional modification. Therapeutic strategies targeting
CD87 as a key molecule of tumor invasion and
metastasis have great potential for becoming valuable assets
in therapy for malignant tumors.
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