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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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KLK2
kallikrein related peptidase 2
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.33
NCBI Gene: 3817Ensembl: ENSG00000167751.13HGNC: HGNC:6363UniProt: A0A024R4J4
88PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Protease
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
serine-type endopeptidase activityextracellular exosomezymogen activationsecretory granuleprostate adenocarcinomaprostate carcinomaacute myeloid leukemianon-small cell lung carcinoma
✦AI Summary

KLK2 (kallikrein-related peptidase 2) is a serine-type endopeptidase secreted by prostate luminal epithelium 1 that cleaves Met-Lys and Arg-Ser bonds in kininogen to release Lys-bradykinin, functioning in the kallikrein-kinin system alongside other proteases on chromosome 19 2. While traditionally characterized as a secreted protease, KLK2 displays unexpected cell surface expression in prostate cancer cells 3. Mechanistically, KLK2 exhibits restricted enzymatic activity at pH 8.0-8.2 (found in prostate inflammation) and is activated by sodium citrate and glycosaminoglycans 1. The protease cleaves the extracellular domain of IL-10R2, reducing its surface expression on macrophages and impairing IL-10-mediated anti-inflammatory responses 1. In cancer, KLK2 expression increases in malignancy while PSA (KLK3) decreases, with KLK2 potentially mediating tumor growth and invasion through proteolytic cascades 4. KLK2 gene variants (rs2664155, rs198977) associate with elevated serum hK2 levels and prostate cancer susceptibility 56. Clinically, KLK2 emerges as a highly prostate-specific surface target; multiple therapeutic approaches including T-cell engagers, CAR-T cells, and targeted radiotherapy demonstrate preclinical and early clinical efficacy 37, establishing KLK2 as a novel therapeutic target for advanced prostate cancer.

Sources cited
1
KLK2 exhibits cell surface expression in prostate cancer and is a robust, homogeneous therapeutic target across prostate cancer disease continuum; multiple targeting approaches show efficacy
PMID: 40627156
2
Pasritamig, a KLK2-targeting bispecific T-cell engager, demonstrates favorable safety profile and preliminary antitumor activity in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer
PMID: 40450573
3
KLK2 is a kallikrein-related serine endopeptidase at chromosome 19 locus with roles in physiological systems and utility as cancer biomarker
PMID: 18344018
4
KLK2 cleaves IL-10R2 extracellular domain at SYRIF sequence, reducing its surface expression and impairing IL-10-mediated anti-inflammatory responses; active at pH 8.0-8.2 in prostate inflammation
PMID: 39106042
5
KLK2 expression increases in malignancy; KLK2 may mediate tumor growth and invasion through proteolytic cascades
PMID: 18627344
6
KLK2 gene variants (rs2664155, rs198977) associate with increased serum hK2 levels and prostate cancer susceptibility
PMID: 17085659
7
KLK2 SNP rs198977 and elevated hK2 levels predict prostate cancer detection at repeat biopsy
PMID: 25279276
Disease Associationsⓘ20
prostate adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.38Weak
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.23Weak
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.21Weak
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
colon adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
chronic lymphocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
clear cell renal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
urinary bladder carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
breast ductal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
gastrointestinal stromal tumorOpen Targets
0.18Weak
Hepatobiliary NeoplasmOpen Targets
0.18Weak
lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
metaplastic breast carcinomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
ovarian serous adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
skin squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
superficial spreading melanomaOpen Targets
0.18Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
SERPINA4Protein interaction100%KNG1Protein interaction95%KLK1Protein interaction94%ARProtein interaction92%TGM4Protein interaction85%SERPINA3Protein interaction85%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Ovary
50%
Brain
42%
Lung
23%
Heart
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KLK2SERPINA4KNG1KLK1ARTGM4SERPINA3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB4NFE · 1.90 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.12LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.75 [0.51–1.12]
RankingsWhere KLK2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #5,418of 20,598
    Most Researched88
  • #11,572of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.12
Genes detectedKLK2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Human Kallikrein 2: A Novel Lineage-Specific Surface Target in Prostate Cancer.
PMID: 40627156
Clin Cancer Res · 2025
1.00
2
Pasritamig, a First-in-Class, Bispecific T-Cell Engager Targeting Human Kallikrein 2, in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Phase I Study.
PMID: 40450573
J Clin Oncol · 2025
0.90
3
Kallikrein-related peptidases.
PMID: 18344018
Cell Mol Life Sci · 2008
0.80
4
Genomic and Immunologic Correlates in Prostate Cancer with High Expression of KLK2.
PMID: 38396898
Int J Mol Sci · 2024
0.70
5
Extracellular Domain of IL-10 Receptor Chain-2 (IL-10R2) and Its Arginine-Containing Peptides Are Susceptible Substrates for Human Prostate Kallikrein-2 (KLK2).
PMID: 39106042
Biochemistry · 2024
0.60