Diverse functions of protease receptor tissue factor in inflammation and metastasis

Accumulating evidence suggests that protease receptors and their cognate protease ligands play important roles in cell-signaling events that regulate cell adhesion and migration in inflammation as well as tumor invasion and metastasis. Tissue factor (TF), the cell surface receptor for the serine protease VIIa and the initiator of the coagulation pathways, supports metastatic implantation by activating extracellular, protease-dependent signaling pathways and by intracellular links to the actin cytoskeleton. The adhesion of TF-expressing tumor cells can be mediated by interactions of the receptor-protease complex with specific matrix-associated inhibitors, suggesting a novel bridging mechanism by which proteases participate in migratory functions of cells.