Serpin B3

Serpin B3, widely known as squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 (SCCA1), is an intracellular clade B serpin without a signal peptide that accumulates in the cytoplasm of squamous epithelial cells. Unusually, its reactive center loop inhibits both papain-like cysteine proteases, including cathepsins K, L, and S, and chymotrypsin-like serine proteases, protecting epithelia from lysosomal and inflammatory protease damage during differentiation and stress. Serpin B3 is markedly induced in psoriasis and other inflammatory skin disease, and SCCA levels in serum serve as a tumor marker for cervical, lung, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Recombinant Serpin B3 supports these immunoassays and cytoprotection studies.