Summary
Since the discovery of Carboxypeptidase U (CPU) in 1988, considerable information
has been gathered about its biochemistry and function in physiological and pathophysiological
circumstances. A variety of tools such as assays to measure proCPU and CPU, antibodies
raised against (pro)CPU, selective CPU inhibitors and knock-out mice have been developed
and are currently being used to explore the role of this metallocarboxypeptidase in
different in vivo and in vitro settings. The knowledge that proCPU can be activated by thrombin and plasmin, enzymes
with a key function in coagulation and fibrinolysis, and the ability of CPU to remove
C-terminal lysine residues has led to the hypothesis that the proCPU/CPU pathway plays
a role in the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis. The maintenance of the
equilibrium between coagulation and fibrinolysis is crucial for normal haemostasis
and disturbance of this delicate balance can lead either to bleeding tendency or thrombosis.
This review provides an update on several aspects of CPU known at the moment, including
an extensive overview on the clinical studies performed up till now.
J. Leurs is a research assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen).
Keywords
TAFI - carboxypeptidase U - fibrinolysis