FSAP (HABP2) protease regulates vascular integrity

Hyaluronic Acid Binding Protein 2 (synonym for factor VII-activating protease, FSAP) expression and activity are upregulated in the lungs of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a disease with prominent vascular leakiness. The authors examined the role of HABP2 in vascular integrity using in vitro models of pulmonary EC barrier function and in vivo models of [...]

FSAP: a key regulator of pericellular proteolysis

Daniel and colleagues asked whether FSAP may influence factors involved in pericellular proteolysis. They studied the influence of FSAP on the expression of uPA, tPA, MMP-2 and -9 (gelatinases) in cultured endothelial cells (EC) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Studies were also performed in the mouse vascular injury model. FSAP was found to activate pro-uPA [...]

Factor VII-Activating Protease Marburg I variant (FSAP-MI) and neointima formation

This study by Sedding and colleagues suggests a mechanism for FSAP in vascular biology, in particular the smooth muscle cell-dependent neo-intima formation in atherogenic plaque formation. Based upon the observation (i) that FSAP is present in atherosclerotic plaques and (ii) that FSAP inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell activation in vitro, they analysed the effect of wild-type [...]

Factor VII-Activating Protease and Hepatic Fibrosis

The study was inspired by two findings: (i) that PDGF appears as a pro-fibrotic factor through its ability to stimulate hepatic stellate cells, the activation of which leads to fibrogenesis, and (ii) that FSAP down-regulates the activity of PDGF through cleavage. The authors analysed the role of FSAP in chronic liver injury in a murine model. [...]