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GDNF promotes the survival and differentiation of minergic neurons in culture, and is able to prevent apoptosis of motor neurons induced by axotomy. The encoded protein is processed to a mature secreted form that exists as a homodimer. The mature form of the protein is a ligand for the product of the RET (rearranged during transfection) protooncogene. In addition to the transcript encoding GDNF, two additional alternative transcripts encoding distinct proteins, referred to as astrocyte-derived trophic factors, have also been described. Mutations in this gene may be associated with Hirschsprung disease.
GDNF enhances survival and morphological differentiation of minergic neurons and increases their high-affinity uptake.

TGFBR2 is part of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family and the TGFB receptor subfamily. TGFBR2 is a transmembrane protein that has a protein kinase domain, forms a heterodimeric complex with another receptor protein, and binds TGF-beta. This receptor/ligand complex phosphorylates proteins, which then enter the nucleus and regulate the transcription of a subset of genes related to cell proliferation. Mutations in TGFBR2 gene have been associated with Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Deitz Aortic Aneurysm Syndrome, and the development of various types of tumors. TGFBR2 expression is increased in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. TGFBR2 attenuates the biological activities of TGF-beta in colorectal cancer. TGFBR2 expression is decreased by IL-1beta while inducing Sp3 via NFkappaB. TGFB2 and TGFBR2 are involved in the antiestrogenic activity of tamoxifen metabolites in breast cancer.

LGALS8 is a prostate-specific antigen that is solely overexpressed in malignant tumors and thus is a supplementary specific identifier of malignancies. LGALS8 is part of the galectin gene family which facilitates both cell-cell and cell matrix interactions in a method parallel to the selectin subgroup of C-type lectins.

Transforming Growth Factor Beta Induced protein also known as TGFBI is an extracellular matrix protein induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1. TGFBI protein is involved in cell growth, cell differentiation, wound healing and cell adhesion. In addition, some missense mutations of TGFBI were identified in families affected with human autosomal dominant corneal dystrophies. TGFBI gene encodes for a 683 amino-acid protein containing an RGD motif and four internal repeated domains which have highly conserved sequences founded in several species (Fasciclin domain).

Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M CSF) or colony stimulating factor 1, is a cytokine, that promoted differentiation in hematopoietic stem cells to macrophages. Another role of M CSF is to bind to its receptor (colony stimulating factor 1 receptor) and to take part in placenta growth and development.

Endothelial cells express three different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, belonging to the family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). They are named VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flk-1), VEGFR-3 (Flt-4). Their expression is almost exclusively restricted to endothelial cells, but VEGFR-1 can also be found on monocytes, dendritic cells and on trophoblast cells. The flt-1 gene was first described in 1990. The receptor contains seven immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains, a single transmembrane region and an intracellular splited tyrosine kinase domain. Compared to VEGFR-2 the Flt-1 receptor has a higher affinity for VEGF but a weaker signaling activity. VEGFR-1 thus leads not to proliferation of endothelial cells, but mediates signals for differentiation. Interestingly a naturally occuring soluble variant of VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) was found in HUVE supernatants in 1996, which is generated by alternative splicing of the flt-1 mRNA. The biological functions of sVEGFR-1 still are not clear, but it seems to be an endogenous regulator of angiogenesis, binding VEGF with the same affinity as the full-length receptor.

KIT, also known as KIT Proto-Oncogene Receptor Tyrosine, is a cytokine receptor which is expressed not only in hematopoietic stem cells but likewise in other cell types. KIT binds to receptor tyrosine kinase type III, which is a stem cell factor, also named a "rigid factor" or "c-kit ligand". Once this receptor binds to stem cell factor (SCF), it forms a dimer which activates intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, which sequentially phosphorylates & activates signaling molecules which breed signals in cells. This receptor protects vascular smooth muscle cells from apoptosis in addition to restoring cardiac function after myocardial infarction.

GDF15 is part of the TGF-Beta superfamily that is involved in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways in injured tissues and throughout disease processes. GDF15 is most abundant in the liver. Its expression in liver can be considerably up-regulated in during injury of organs such as liver, kidney, heart and lung. GDF-15 promotes proliferation or growth arrest and differentiation due to differences in cellular differentiation. GDF15 prevents apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons by activating Akt and inhibiting endogenously active ERK. GDF15 is a novel autocrine/endocrine factor that antagonizes the hypertrophic response and loss of ventricular performance.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4 (IGFBP-4) is a part of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) family. IGFBP4 includes an IGFBP domain and a thyroglobulin type-I domain. IGFBP4 binds both insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) I and II. IGFBP-4 circulates in the plasma in both glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms. IGFBPs can either inhibit or enhance the biological activities of IGF, or act in an IGF independent manner. IGFBP-4 is consistently inhibits several cancer cells in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that it may function as an apoptotic factor. IGFBP4 is produced by all colon cancer cells. Binding of IGFBP-4 prolongs the half-life of the IGFs and changes their interaction with cell surface receptors.

GDF-11 belongs to the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family and the TGF-beta superfamily. GDF-11 is a central developmental factor which controls muscular and neural development. In adults, GDF-11 encourages cardiac hypertrophy reverse by the revival of cardiomyocytes.

PEDF is a neurotrophic protein that induces extensive neuronal differentiation in retinoblastoma cells. SerpinF1 is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. EPC1 doesn’t undergo the stressed to relaxed conformation transition characteristic as of the active serpins since it exhibits no serine protease inhibitory activity.
Aqueous humour level of asymmetric dimethylarginine is correlated with PEDF in humans. ADMA and PEDF levels are increased in response to inflammation in uveitis.
Lack of PEDF expression is a potent factor for the enhancement of tumor growth and angiogenesis in breast cancer.
PEDF & VEGF genes contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy.
PEDF and VEGF structural changes in blood vessel wall play an important role in the pathophysiology of PD patients.
PEDF-overexpressing tumors exhibited reduced intratumoral angiogenesis.
SerpinF1 is a new promising approach for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Levels of the natural ocular anti-angiogenic factor SentrinF1 (PEDF) is associated with proliferative retinopathy.
VEGF secreted by retinal pigment epithelial cells upregulates PEDF expression via VEGFR-1 in an autocrine manner.
Sentrin-F1 concentration in the aqueous humor of diabetic patients predicts who will develop progression of retinopathy.
PEDF blocks angiogenic effects of leptin through its anti-oxidative properties.

Midkine (MK) is the product of a retinoic acid responsive gene. It contains 121 amino acid residues including 10 conserved cysteine residues, all of which appear to be disulphide linked.
Midkine is expressed during embryogenesis, showing an expression pattern that suggests functions in neurogenesis, cell migration, secondary organogenetic induction, and mesoderm-epithelial interaction.
The widespread downregulation of MK in the adult human is reverted in a number of cancers, in which polypeptides are able to act as both transforming growth factors and promoters of angiogenesis.
Midkine (MK), induces chemotaxis of human neutrophils and was found to trigger mobilization of intracellular calcium of these cells.
Midkine induces histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells with a rapid response in a dose dependent manner.
Midkine is also a potent stimulator of collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis.

TGFBR2 is part of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family and the TGFB receptor subfamily. TGFBR2 is a transmembrane protein that has a protein kinase domain, forms a heterodimeric complex with another receptor protein, and binds TGF-beta. This receptor/ligand complex phosphorylates proteins, which then enter the nucleus and regulate the transcription of a subset of genes related to cell proliferation. Mutations in TGFBR2 gene have been associated with Marfan syndrome, Loeys-Deitz Aortic Aneurysm Syndrome, and the development of various types of tumors. TGFBR2 expression is increased in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. TGFBR2 attenuates the biological activities of TGF-beta in colorectal cancer. TGFBR2 expression is decreased by IL-1beta while inducing Sp3 via NFkappaB.

Proteins of the TFF family are characterized by obtaining a minimum of 1 copy of the trefoil motif, a 40-amino acid domain that contains 3 conserved disulfides. Trefoil Factors are stable secretory proteins expressed in gastrointestinal mucosa which protect the mucosa from insults, stabilize the mucus layer and affect healing of the epithelium.TFF2 inhibits gastric acid motility & secretion. TFF2 stabilizes glycoproteins in the mucus gel through interactions with carbohydrate side chains. TFF3 induces ciliogenesis and promotes airway epithelial ciliated cell differentiation, relatively through an epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pathway. TFF3 overexpression is crucial for progression in mouse and human hepatocellular carcinogenesis. TFF-3 is normally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and its expression associates with tumor grade.

TNFAIP8 which is a part of the TNFAIP8 family acts as a negative mediator of apoptosis and takes part in tumor progression. TNFAIP8 suppresses the TNF-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-8 activity but not the processing of procaspase-8, resulting in inhibition of BID cleavage and activation of caspase-3.

Osteoprotegerin, which is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and is involved in the regulation of bone metabolism. OPGand its ligand (OPGL) are cytokines regulating osteoclasto-genesis. OPGL binds to receptors on the surface of preosteoclasts and stimulates their differentiation into active osteoclasts. This leads to osteoresorption. OPG inhibits this osteoclasto-genesis (OPG is secreted by osteoblasts, and binds to OPGL, thus inhibiting maturation of osteoclasts and osteoresorption). The degree and activity of osteoresorption depend mainly on the balance between OPG and its ligand (OPGL); factors increasing OPGL expression mostly reduce OPG expression and vice versa.

Interleukin-3 is a pleiotropic cytokine produced primarily by activated T cells.
IL-3 is thought to function via specific cell surface receptors to stimulate the proliferation, differentiation and survival of haematopoietic cell lines. IL-3 has also been shown to affect the functional activity of a variety of other cell types including mast cells, eosinophils, megakaryocytes and basophils.

Cell Growth Regulator with EF-Hand Domain 1, also known as CGREF1 is a secreted calcium ion binding protein. CGREF1 includes two EF-hand domains & both EF-hands are essential for function. CGREF1 is most likely digested extracellularly by an unfamiliar serine protease generating extremely hydrophobic bioactive peptides. CGREF1 mediates cell-cell adhesion in a calcium-dependent manner. In addition, CGREF1 is capable to inhibit growth in more than a few cell lines.

sRANK Receptor is a part of of the TNF superfamily of ligands and receptors which participates in the regulation of specific immunity and bone turnover. sRANK Receptor was originally acknowledged as a dendritic-cell-membrane protein, which by interacting with RANKL augments the capacity of dendritic cells to stimulate naive T cell proliferation and to endorse the survival of RANK and T cells. The full length human RANK cDNA encodes a type I transmembrane protein of 616 amino acids with a predicted 183 amino acid extracellular domain and a 383 amino acid cytoplasmic domain. sRANK Receptor is also expressed in a various tissues including skeletal muscle, thymus, liver, colon, small intestine and adrenal gland.

PEDF is a neurotrophic protein that induces extensive neuronal differentiation in retinoblastoma cells. SerpinF1 is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. EPC1 doesn’t undergo the stressed to relaxed conformation transition characteristic as of the active serpins since it exhibits no serine protease inhibitory activity.
Aqueous humour level of asymmetric dimethylarginine is correlated with PEDF in humans. ADMA and PEDF levels are increased in response to inflammation in uveitis.
Lack of PEDF expression is a potent factor for the enhancement of tumor growth and angiogenesis in breast cancer.
PEDF & VEGF genes contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy.
PEDF and VEGF structural changes in blood vessel wall play an important role in the pathophysiology of PD patients.
PEDF-overexpressing tumors exhibited reduced intratumoral angiogenesis.
SerpinF1 is a new promising approach for the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Levels of the natural ocular anti-angiogenic factor SentrinF1 (PEDF) is associated with proliferative retinopathy.
VEGF secreted by retinal pigment epithelial cells upregulates PEDF expression via VEGFR-1 in an autocrine manner.
Sentrin-F1 concentration in the aqueous humor of diabetic patients predicts who will develop progression of retinopathy.
PEDF blocks angiogenic effects of leptin through its anti-oxidative properties.

Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 protein (Mfge8) is pleiotropic secreted glycoprotein which promotes mammary gland morphogenesis, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. Mfge8 has also an imperative role in tissue homeostasis and the prevention of inflammation. Mfge8 functions as a bridge between phosphatidylserine on apoptotic cells and Integrin alpha V beta 3 on phagocytes, leading to the clearance of apoptotic debris.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

NF-kappa-B inhibitor beta (NFKBIB) is a member of the NF-kappa-B inhibitor family, which inhibit NF-kappa-B by complexing with, and trapping it in the cytoplasm. Phosphorylation of serine residues on these proteins by kinases marks them for destruction via the ubiquitination pathway, thus allowing activation of the NF-kappa-B, which translocates to the nucleus to act as a transcription factor.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.