In order to prevent the action of active trypsin in the pancreas which can be highly damaging, inhibitors such as BPTI and SPINK1 in the pancreas and α1-antitrypsin in the serum are present as part of the defense against its inappropriate activation.
A further safeguard against inappropriate trypsin activation is the presence of inhibitors such as bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) and serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 1 (SPINK1), which binds to any trypsin formed.