An enzyme called heparanase which is produced by cancer cells has been linked in previous studies to malignancy. A recent study published in Nature Chemical Biology indicates that an inhibitor for heparanase may have potentials as an anti-cancer drug candidate.

Heparanase helps cancer cells make their way through tissue barriers, but it also stimulates the heightened generation of blood vessels that is necessary for tumor growth. The fragments function as carriers of growth factors that can promote tumor growth in many ways.

Source: Uppsala University