Anti-Human Hepsin (Clone 2D5) – Purified

Hepsin is a type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP) expressed on the surface of epithelial cells including the liver, kidney, prostate, and thyroid in human tissues. The physiological function of hepsin is unclear, although, In vitro studies have shown that hepsin activates blood clotting factors VII, XII, and IX, pro-urokinase (pro-uPA), and pro-hepatocyte growth factor (pro-HGF). The over-expression of hepsin has been implicated in several types of cancer, especially ovarian and prostate, which makes it an attractive diagnostic marker for cancers. Most notably, hepsin has been identified as one of the most highly induced genes in prostate cancer, and this over-expression is correlated with the cancer progression and metastasis. Furthermore anti-hepsin antibodies have been shown to inhibit the invasion of human prostate cancer cells.1