Involvement of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Invasion and Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Uterine Cervix

A tumor-related protein, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) was first discovered in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma [1], and subsequently has been used as a useful tumor marker for squamous cell carcinoma of various organs [2-4]. Cloning and characterization of SCCA cDNA has revealed that SCCA belongs to serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family [5]. Since SCCA is present not only in squamous cell carcinomas but also in normal squamous epithelium, the biological function of SCCA is of great interest. The present paper reviews the current understanding of SCCA, focusing on its biological function in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma.