Keratinocyte-Specific Onset of Serine Protease BSSP Expression in Experimental Carcinogenesis

    September 2001 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Ute Breitenbach, Jan Tuckermann, Christoffer Gebhardt, Karl Hartmut Richter, Peter Angel, Gerhard Fürstenberger, Gerhard Christofori
    TLDR BSSP may help skin tumors grow and could be a marker or target for skin cancer treatment.
    The study investigated the expression of the serine protease BSSP in mouse skin during experimental carcinogenesis, finding that BSSP expression increased significantly in keratinocytes of the epidermis and hair follicles after treatment with the tumor promoter TPA. This expression remained high in hyperplastic epidermis and skin tumors, was independent of c-Fos, and resistant to glucocorticoid downregulation. BSSP was highly expressed in the basal layer of hyperplastic skin, papillomas, and squamous cell carcinomas, suggesting its role in skin tumorigenesis by altering the local environment to support tumor growth and invasion. The study highlighted BSSP as a potential marker for skin cancer progression and a target for diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    2 / 2 results