Anti-inflammatory actions of serine protease inhibitors containing the Kunitz domain

Abstract

Introduction: Protease inhibitors, including the Kunitz, Kazal, serpin and mucus families, play important roles in inhibiting protease activities during homeostasis, inflammation, tissue injury, and cancer progression. Interestingly, in addition to their anti-protease activity, protease inhibitors also often possess other intrinsic properties that contribute to termination of the inflammatory process, including modulation of cytokine expression, signal transduction and tissue remodeling. In this review we have tried to summarize recent findings on the Kunitz family of serine proteinase inhibitors and their implications in health and disease.

Materials and methods: A systematic search was performed in the electronic databases PubMed and ScienceDirect up to October 2009. We tried to limit the review to anti-inflammatory actions and actions not related to protease inhibition.

Results and conclusion: Recent studies have demonstrated that the Kunitz inhibitors are not only protease inhibitors, but can also prevent inflammation and tissue injury and subsequently promote tissue remodeling.