TMPRSS2 (F5I6U) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody #39665

Transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is a type II transmembrane serine protease belonging to the S1 serine protease family. TMPRSS2 participates in several proteolytic cascades, particularly within the prostate gland, where it is highly expressed on the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells and is regulated by androgenic hormones (1,2). TMPRSS2 is frequently overexpressed in prostate cancer, often due to gene fusions with members of the ETS family of transcription factors, most commonly ERG. The TMPRSS2-ERG fusion, present in a significant proportion of prostate cancers, places ERG under androgen regulation. Androgen-induced TMPRSS2 cleaves and activates several substrates that lead to extracellular matrix disruption and promote prostate cancer cell metastasis (4). Altered TMPRSS2 expression has been observed in other cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma and breast cancer, where it has been suggested to have prognostic value and may correlate with immune infiltration (5,6). TMPRSS2 also facilitates the entry of several viruses into host cells, including influenza viruses and coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. It primes viral spike glycoproteins through proteolytic cleavage, enabling fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane and subsequent viral entry. This function has made TMPRSS2 a key target for antiviral drug development (7). Researchers are actively studying the complex interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and human cancer, particularly focusing on how viral entry mechanisms, pre-existing tumor characteristics, and the body's immune response to infection might influence cancer patient susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes and potentially impact tumor progression or prognosis (8,9).