The acquired capabilities of resistance to apoptotic cell death and tissue invasion are
considered to be obligate steps in tumor progression. The binding of the serine protease
urokinase (uPA) to its receptor (uPAR) plays a central role in the molecular events
coordinating tumor cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. Here we investigate whether
uPAR signaling may also prevent apoptosis following loss of anchorage (anoikis) or DNA
damage. If nontransformed human retinal pigment epithelial cells are pre-exposed to uPA or …