Alteration of the Methylation Status of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA) is involved in Proliferation and Invasion of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Cells

Abstract

The extracellular matrix degradation is the most important step in the process of tumor cell metastasis. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) can catalyzes the conversion of the inactive zymogen plasminogen to the active broad-spectrum plasmin, which degrades a number of matrix proteins and also activates other proteases, including some matrix metalloproteinases.