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Overview
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Growth Hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factors and their binding proteins build up an endocrine system regulating not only longitudinal growth in humans but also influencing a broad variety of other physiological and pathophysiological processes like energy metabolism or tumor growth. Most effects of Growth Hormone (GH) are exerted by Insulin-like Growth Factors (IGF) mainly produced by the liver but also locally by specific tissues. The effects of IGF are also regulated, specific binding proteins (IGFBP 1-7) regulate bioavailability of IGF. After proteolytic cleavage of the binding proteins IGF is set free and able to bind to its receptor. The autophosphorylation of this thyrosine kinase receptor activates intra cellular signalling cascades. Some of these IGFBPs not only regulate the availability of IGF but also exert IGF-independent effects on cell physiology.
Insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and -II are bound to specific binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the circulation. The predominating IGFBP in blood is IGFBP-3, which largely determines the total IGF-I and IGF-II concentration. In contrast to the other binding proteins, IGFBP-3 has the unique property to associate with an acid-labile nonbinding subunit (ALS) after binding of either IGF-I or IGF-II.Please contact us at for specific academic pricing.
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Overview