Components of the uPA system such as u-PA, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) are overexpressed in a variety of cancer types, most notably in breast cancer (22), but also in lung cancer (17,23) and malignant mesothelioma (18,24) and correlate with cancer progression, metastasis and poor prognosis. The gene discussed is SERPINE1; the disease is malignant mesothelioma.