Tissue kallikrein and kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) compose a family of serine endopeptidases with much clinical interest in oncology, as their potential as diagnostic and/or prognostic molecular biomarkers in several human malignancies has already been evidenced.
The kallikrein gene family (KLK1-KLK15) is the largest contiguous group of protease genes within the human genome and is associated with both risk and outcome of cancer and other diseases.
SNPs in the KLK locus have been found to be associated with several diseases including cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and atopic dermatitis.
Kallikrein-related peptidase 14 (KLK14) is a member of the tissue kallikrein family of proteases, which are associated with the pathogenesis of malignant tumors and are over-expressed in ovarian carcinoma.
This is a first study that provides strong evidence for enhanced expression of TK in peptic ulceration and gastric malignancy, suggestive of a crucial role for serine proteases in cancer.