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Human tissue kallikreins
(hKs), which are encoded by the largest contiguous cluster of
protease genes in the human genome, are secreted serine proteases
with diverse expression patterns and physiological roles. Although
primarily known for their clinical applicability as cancer biomarkers,
recent evidence implicates hKs in many cancer-related processes,
including cell-growth regulation, angiogenesis, invasion and
metastasis. They have been shown to promote or inhibit neoplastic
progression, acting individually and/or in cascades with other
hKs and proteases, and might represent attractive targets for
therapeutic intervention.
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