The degradation of extracellular matrix is an important prerequisite in tumor oncogenesis and invasion. Studies have shown that urokinase-type plasminogen activator（uPA） plays an important role in the degradation of extracellular matrix. It has been suggested that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase（MAPK） signaling pathway can be involved in tumor invasion by regulating uPA expression. In this article, the research of p38MAPK-signaling pathway and uPA in the invasion of head and neck tumor are reviewed.
