'The editors have succeeded in producing a volume of work which provides many answers to questions, asked and unasked, about a critically important field of biologic research. It should be in the library of any scientist with an interest in human physiology; it would be useful to many other researchers as well.' Chemtracts - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12:10 (1999)

• I. Introduction.- 1. Serpins: From the Way It Was to the Way It Is.- 2. Serpins: A Mechanistic Class of Their Own.- II. Coagulation.- 3. Antithrombin: A Bloody Important Serpin.- 4. Heparin Cofactor II.- 5. PCI: Protein C Inhibitor?.- 6. Molecular Basis for the Resistance of Fibrin-Bound Thrombin to Inactivation by Heparin/Serpin Complexes.- III. Neurobiology and Cancer.- 7. Regulation of Neurons and Astrocytes by Thrombin and Protease Nexin-1: Relationship to Brain Injury.- 8. Maspin: A Tumor Suppressing Serpin.- 9. Proteases and Protease Inhibitors in Tumor Progression.- IV. Fibrinolysis.- 10. The Role of Reactive-Center Loop Mobility in the Serpin Inhibitory Mechanism.- 11. Substrate Specificity of Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator.- 12. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-2: A Spontaneously Polymerizing Serpin that Exists in Two Topological Forms.- 13. Of Mice and Men: The Function of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitors (PAIs) in Vivo.- V. Development and Reproduction.- 14. Biology of Progesterone-Induced Uterine Serpins.- 15. Serpins from an Insect, Manduca sexta.- 16. The Significance of Serpins in the Regulation of Proteases in the Male Genital Tract.- VI. Inflammation.- 17. Serpins and Programmed Cell Death.- 18. C 1 Inhibitor: Functional Analysis of Naturally-Occurring Mutant Proteins.- 19. Serp-1, a Poxvirus-Encoded Serpin, Is Expressed as a Secreted Glycoprotein that Inhibits the Inflammatory Response to Myxoma Virus Infection.- 20. Dysfunctional Variants and the Structural Biology of the Serpins.- VI. Noninhibitor Serpins.- 21. Structure-Function Studies on PEDF: A Noninhibitory Serpin with Neurotrophic Activity.- 22. Colligin, a Collagen Binding Serpin.- VII. Abstracts.- Coagulation, Neurobiology, and Cancer.- Fibrinolysis, Development, and Reproduction.- Inflammation and Noninhibitor Serpins.- Contributors.

'The editors have succeeded in producing a volume of work which provides many answers to questions, asked and unasked, about a critically important field of biologic research. It should be in the library of any scientist with an interest in human physiology; it would be useful to many other researchers as well.' Chemtracts - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12:10 (1999)

• I. Introduction.- 1. Serpins: From the Way It Was to the Way It Is.- 2. Serpins: A Mechanistic Class of Their Own.- II. Coagulation.- 3. Antithrombin: A Bloody Important Serpin.- 4. Heparin Cofactor II.- 5. PCI: Protein C Inhibitor?.- 6. Molecular Basis for the Resistance of Fibrin-Bound Thrombin to Inactivation by Heparin/Serpin Complexes.- III. Neurobiology and Cancer.- 7. Regulation of Neurons and Astrocytes by Thrombin and Protease Nexin-1: Relationship to Brain Injury.- 8. Maspin: A Tumor Suppressing Serpin.- 9. Proteases and Protease Inhibitors in Tumor Progression.- IV. Fibrinolysis.- 10. The Role of Reactive-Center Loop Mobility in the Serpin Inhibitory Mechanism.- 11. Substrate Specificity of Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator.- 12. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-2: A Spontaneously Polymerizing Serpin that Exists in Two Topological Forms.- 13. Of Mice and Men: The Function of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitors (PAIs) in Vivo.- V. Development and Reproduction.- 14. Biology of Progesterone-Induced Uterine Serpins.- 15. Serpins from an Insect, Manduca sexta.- 16. The Significance of Serpins in the Regulation of Proteases in the Male Genital Tract.- VI. Inflammation.- 17. Serpins and Programmed Cell Death.- 18. C 1 Inhibitor: Functional Analysis of Naturally-Occurring Mutant Proteins.- 19. Serp-1, a Poxvirus-Encoded Serpin, Is Expressed as a Secreted Glycoprotein that Inhibits the Inflammatory Response to Myxoma Virus Infection.- 20. Dysfunctional Variants and the Structural Biology of the Serpins.- VI. Noninhibitor Serpins.- 21. Structure-Function Studies on PEDF: A Noninhibitory Serpin with Neurotrophic Activity.- 22. Colligin, a Collagen Binding Serpin.- VII. Abstracts.- Coagulation, Neurobiology, and Cancer.- Fibrinolysis, Development, and Reproduction.- Inflammation and Noninhibitor Serpins.- Contributors.

'The editors have succeeded in producing a volume of work which provides many answers to questions, asked and unasked, about a critically important field of biologic research. It should be in the library of any scientist with an interest in human physiology; it would be useful to many other researchers as well.' Chemtracts - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12:10 (1999)

• I. Introduction.- 1. Serpins: From the Way It Was to the Way It Is.- 2. Serpins: A Mechanistic Class of Their Own.- II. Coagulation.- 3. Antithrombin: A Bloody Important Serpin.- 4. Heparin Cofactor II.- 5. PCI: Protein C Inhibitor?.- 6. Molecular Basis for the Resistance of Fibrin-Bound Thrombin to Inactivation by Heparin/Serpin Complexes.- III. Neurobiology and Cancer.- 7. Regulation of Neurons and Astrocytes by Thrombin and Protease Nexin-1: Relationship to Brain Injury.- 8. Maspin: A Tumor Suppressing Serpin.- 9. Proteases and Protease Inhibitors in Tumor Progression.- IV. Fibrinolysis.- 10. The Role of Reactive-Center Loop Mobility in the Serpin Inhibitory Mechanism.- 11. Substrate Specificity of Tissue Type Plasminogen Activator.- 12. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-2: A Spontaneously Polymerizing Serpin that Exists in Two Topological Forms.- 13. Of Mice and Men: The Function of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitors (PAIs) in Vivo.- V. Development and Reproduction.- 14. Biology of Progesterone-Induced Uterine Serpins.- 15. Serpins from an Insect, Manduca sexta.- 16. The Significance of Serpins in the Regulation of Proteases in the Male Genital Tract.- VI. Inflammation.- 17. Serpins and Programmed Cell Death.- 18. C 1 Inhibitor: Functional Analysis of Naturally-Occurring Mutant Proteins.- 19. Serp-1, a Poxvirus-Encoded Serpin, Is Expressed as a Secreted Glycoprotein that Inhibits the Inflammatory Response to Myxoma Virus Infection.- 20. Dysfunctional Variants and the Structural Biology of the Serpins.- VI. Noninhibitor Serpins.- 21. Structure-Function Studies on PEDF: A Noninhibitory Serpin with Neurotrophic Activity.- 22. Colligin, a Collagen Binding Serpin.- VII. Abstracts.- Coagulation, Neurobiology, and Cancer.- Fibrinolysis, Development, and Reproduction.- Inflammation and Noninhibitor Serpins.- Contributors.