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The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

S100b is a member of the S100 family of proteins which are a family of EF-hand calcium binding proteins that exist mostly as dimers of the 20 currently identified individual S100 monomers. The S100B homodimer is expressed in cells of the central nervous system, glial cells and in certain peripheral cells e.g. Schwann cells, melanocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes. S100 proteins are localized either in the cytoplasm or the nucleus of a wide range of cells. S100 proteins are involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and differentiation. There are at least 13 members in the S100 gene family, which are located as a cluster on chromosome 1q21; however, S100b is located at 21q22.3. The determination of S100B in serum levels may be used to monitor the extent of brain injury and malignant melanoma. S100b proteins may have a role in Neurite extension, proliferation of melanoma cells, stimulation of Ca2+ fluxes, inhibition of PKC-mediated phosphorylation, astrocytosis and axonal proliferation, and inhibition of microtubule assembly. Chromosomal rearrangements and altered expression of the S100b gene are implicated in several neurological, neoplastic, and other types of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, melanoma, and type I diabetes.

CTLA-4 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and encodes a protein which transmits an inhibitory signal to T cells. The protein contains a V domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized. The membrane-bound isoform functions as a homodimer interconnected by a disulfide bond, while the soluble isoform functions as a monomer. Mutations in this gene have been associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Graves disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid-associated orbitopathy, and other autoimmune diseases.

HDGF is a member of the hepatoma-derived growth factor family. HDGF plays a role as a secreted mitogen from the human hepatoma cell line Huh-7. HDGF is a nuclear targeted vascular smooth muscle cell mitogen as well as a heparin-binding protein that is greatly expressed in tumor cells where it stimulates proliferation. HDGF takes part in organ development and lung remodeling after injury by promoting proliferation of lung epithelial cells. HDGF plays a role in the carcinogenesis of gastric epithelial cells through promotion of cell proliferation by Erk1/2 activation. HDGF is linked with tumorigenesis and the growth of cancer. HDGF is a self-regulating factor connected with the prognosis of liver cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. HDGF has proliferative, angiogenic, and neurotrophic activity. HDGF is a distinctive nuclear targeting growth factor that is vastly expressed in HCC cells and is a prognostic factor for HCC.

MTHSFD, also known as Methenyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase Domain Containing protein, is linked to Pancreas, Annular and Gastrointestinal Defects. It has also been associated with Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Some of the Gene Ontology annotations that are related to the MTHSFD gene are nucleic acid binding and nucleotide binding.

E-selectin which is also called Endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1, ELAM1, ELAM belongs to a family of divalent cation-dependent carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins or adhesion molecules. Eselectin is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and mediates the interaction of leukocytes and platelets with endothelial cells during an inflammatory response. E-selectin is present in single copy in the human genome and contains 14 exons spanning about 13 kb of DNA.

SERPINA1 is secreted and is a serine protease inhibitor which its targets include elastase, plasmin, collagenase, thrombin, leucocytic proteases, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and plasminogen activator. Defects in SERPINA1 gene can cause emphysema or liver disease. Antral SERPINA1 expression is particularly induced by H. pylori infection. lung and prostate cancers have shown a significant increase in SERPINA1 serum levels compared with healthy controls though breast cancers did not show a significant change. SERPINA1 is an endogenous inhibitor of serine proteases and inhibits the catalytic domain of human recombinant matriptase in vitro. Rise in SERPINA1 occurs as an acute phase response to tissue necrosis and inflammation. mutations in SERPINA1 and SLC11A1 genes change the balance between elastase produced by leukocytes during phagocytosis.

HOXB13 is a transcription factor and a member of the homeobox gene family which are extremely conserved in vertebrates and vital for vertebrate embryonic development. HOXB13 is involved in fetal skin development and cutaneous regeneration. In mice, a similar gene displayed temporal and spatial colinearity in the main body axis of the embryo, however it was not expressed in the secondary axes, implying that it has a roles in body patterning along the axis.

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an enzyme that reduces dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid, with NADPH as electron donor that can be converted to the kinds of tetrahydrofolate cofactors applied in 1-carbon transfer chemistry. DHFR converts dihydrofolate into tetrahydrofolate, which is a methyl group shuttle required for the de novo synthesis of purines, thymidylic acid, and specific amino acids. Even though the functional DHFR gene is mapped to chromosome 5, numerous intronless processed pseudogenes or dihydrofolate reductase-like genes are identified on separate chromosomes. DHFR deficiency is associated with megaloblastic anemia. DHFR knockdown plays a role in the anticancer activity of 2-hydroxyoleic acid. DHFR gene insertion/deletion polymorphism is linked to variation in serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in women.

SH3-domain GRB2-like 2 (SH3GL2) is a member of the endophilin family. SH3GL2 contains a BAR domain and a SH3 domain. Members of the BAR domain protein superfamily are crucial elements of cellular traffic. Endophilins have a major function in synaptic vesicle endocytosis (SVE), receptor trafficking and apoptosis, and in other processes which require remodeling of the membrane structure. SH3GL2 is a novel tumor suppressor gene in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), which induces apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating intra-cellular signal transduction networks. SH3GL2 is implicated in synaptic vesicle endocytosis. SH3GL2 is found in the brain, mainly in frontal cortex, and at high level in the fetal cerebellum.

Actin depolymerizing factor (Destrin/DSTN) belongs to the ADF/Cofilin/destrin superfamily which has the ability to swiftly depolymerize F-Actin in a stoichiometric mode. The ADF family of proteins is responsible for enhancing the turnover rate of actin in vivo. Destrin is a small phosphoinositide-sensitive actin-binding protein capable of depolymerizing actin-filaments in vitro. DSTN functions in a pH-independent manner. DSTN is found in a variety of epithelial and endothelial cells, however it is virtually nonexistent in adult mouse heart and skeletal muscle cells. Destrin shares a 71% sequence homology with Cofilin, however the 2 proteins vary in their interaction with Actin.

A natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) NKp46 has been shown to represent a novel NK cell-specific molecule involved in human NK cell activation. The natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) are a recently characterized family of Ig-like activation receptors that appear to be major triggering receptors in tumor cell recognition. The three known NCRs include NKp46 and NKp30, which are expressed on circulating NKcells, and NKp44, which is expressed only on activating NK cells. NKp46 has been implicated in NK cell-mediated lysis of several autologous tumor cells, pathogen-infected cell lines and mononuclear phagocytes infected with an intracellular bacterium. The Lysis of tumor cells by NK-cells involves recognition by NKp46 of heparan sulfate moieties of membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Furthermore, NKp46 is a surface receptor involved in NK-cell cell death by apoptosis. NKp46 has two extracellular Ig-like domains followed by a ~40 residue stalk region, a type I transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. The extracellular Ig-like domain of NKp46 (22-255aa) is purified by FPLC gel-filtration chromatography, after refolding of the isolated inclusion bodies in a redox buffer. In addition, engagement of the antigen with the monoclonal antibody stimulates intracellular calcium levels and the synthesis of cytokines. CD59 is an NKp46 coreceptor (by physical association) together they activate cytotoxicity of human NK-cells, their engagement results in tyrosine phosphorylation of CD3-zeta chains associated with NKp46. Reduced cell surface expression of NKp46 and other NK-cell receptors is linked to the impaired NK-cell cytolytic function in viremic HIV-1 infection.

SOD2 is part of the iron/manganese superoxide dismutase family. It encodes a mitochondrial protein that forms a homotetramer and binds one manganese ion per subunit. SOD2 binds to the superoxide byproducts of oxidative phosphorylation and converts them to hydrogen peroxide and diatomic oxygen. Mutations in SOD2 gene have been associated with idiopathic cardiomyopathy (IDC), premature aging, sporadic motor neuron disease, and cancer. SOD2 destroys radicals which are usually produced within the cells and which are toxic to biological systems.

STAM Binding Protein (STAMBP) is a zinc metalloprotease which specifically cleaves Lys-63-linked polyubiquitin chains, however it doesn’t cleave Lys-48-linked polyubiquitin chains. STAMBP has a role in signal transduction for cell growth and MYC induction mediated by IL-2 and GM-CSF. In addition, STAMBP potentiates BMP signaling by antagonizing the inhibitory action of SMAD6 and SMAD7. STAMBP also has a major role in regulation of cell surface receptor-mediated endocytosis and ubiquitin-dependent sorting of receptors to lysosomes. Endosomal localization of STAMBP is essential for efficient EGFR degradation but not for its internalization. STAMBP is also involved in the negative regulation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RAS-MAP signaling pathways.

Odd-Skipped Related Transcription Factor 2, also know as OSR2 belongs to the Odd C2H2-type zinc-finger protein family. OSR2 is a mammalian homolog of the Drosophila odd-skipped family of transcription factors.

Calcium-binding protein 39-like (CAB39L), is analogous to MO25 and located in the serum of virtually half of all patients diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. CAB39L plays a role in carcinogenesis. Furthermore, LKB1 activity raises upon the binding of a regulatory complex consisting of the STE20-related adaptor-alpha (STRAD alpha) pseudo kinase and the CAB39L.

Calbindin 1 (CALB1) is a calcium binding protein that is a member of the troponin C superfamily. CALB1 plays a vital role in calcium regulation (including calcium transport and uptake, calcification of bone and teeth) and calcium associated signaling in neurons and transiently in embryological development. CALB1 also has a role in protecting neurons from apoptotic cell death. CALB1 buffers cytosolic calcium and may stimulate a membrane Ca2+-ATPase and a 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. The biological function of CALB1 seems to be tied to the redox state of its five cysteine residues.
CALB1 has 4 active calcium-binding domains, and 2 modified domains that seemingly have lost their calcium-binding ability. CALB1 is expressed in neural tissues. In the brain, the CALB1 synthesis is independent of vitamin-D-derived hormones.
Disregulation of the CALB1 is associated with epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease. The neurons in brains of Huntington disease patients are calbindin-depleted.

PFN4 is a small actin-binding protein that participates in the dynamic turnover and restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton. PFN4 is localized in all eukaryotic organisms in the majority of cells. PFN4 is crucial for spatially and temporally controlled growth of actin microfilaments, which is a necessary process in cellular locomotion and cell shape changes.

Capping Protein (Actin Filament) Muscle Z-Line, Alpha 2 also known as CAPZA2 belongs the F-actin capping protein alpha subunit family. It is the alpha subunit of the barbed-end actin binding protein Cap Z. By capping the barbed end of actin filaments, Cap Z regulates the growth of the actin filaments at the barbed end. Among the diseases associated with CAPZA2 are endocarditis, and cervicitis.

TIMP2 belongs to the TIMP gene family. The proteins encoded by this gene family are natural inhibitors of the matrix metalloproteinases, a group of peptidases that take part in degradation of the extracellular matrix. Besides having an inhibitory role against metalloproteinases, the encoded protein has a exclusive part among TIMP family members in its capability to directly suppress the proliferation of endothelial cells. Consequently, the encoded protein is crucial to the conservation of tissue homeostasis by suppressing the production of quiescent tissues as an answer to angiogenic factors, and by inhibiting protease activity in tissues undergoing renovation of the extracellular matrix.

Ferritin is a fairly large, iron-storage heteropolymeric protein composed of 2 subunit types, light Ferritin & heavy Ferritin polypeptides, which is expressed in most kinds of cells and co-assemble in different proportion in a tissue-specific manner. Ferritin is composed of 24 self-assembled polypeptide subunits of the heavy and light ferritin chains and is characterized by the capacity to remove Fe (II) from solution in the presence of oxygen.
Ferritin light polypeptide protein is the main intracellular iron storage protein in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Variation in ferritin subunit composition influence the rates of iron uptake and release in various tissues. A key function of ferritin is the storage of iron in a soluble and nontoxic state. Defects in this light chain ferritin gene are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases and hyper ferrit anemia-cataract syndrome.
Ferritin stores iron in a soluble, nontoxic, readily accessible form. Ferritin is needed for iron homeostasis. Iron is taken up in the ferrous form and deposited as ferric hydroxides after it has been oxidized.

Galectins are a family of animal lectins with an affinity for beta-galactosides. This family has at least 14 identified members. Galectins share similarities in the CRD (the carbohydrate recognition domain). Galectins are synthesized as cytosolic proteins. Though localized principally in the cytoplasm and lacking a classical signal peptide, galectins can also be stimulated to secretion by non-classical pathways or alternatively targeted to the nucleus. Galectins are involved in modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Human Galectin-7 belongs to the prototypical Galectins containing a single CRD, which is initially identified in human epidermis as a monomer. The Galectin-7 expression is induced by tumor suppressor protein p53 and associated with apoptosis. Galectin-7 is a pro-apoptotic protein which functions intracellularlly upstream of JNK activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. The correlation of Galectin-7 with the UV-induced apoptosis of keratinocytes presents a critical mechanism in the maintenance of epidermal homeostasis. Human Galectin-7 is localized in both nucleus and cytoplasm.

Thioredoxins are small disulphide-containing redox proteins (within the conserved Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys active site) that have been found in all the kingdoms of living organisms. Thioredoxin contains a single disulfide active site and serves as a general protein disulphide oxidoreductase. Thioredoxins are involved in the first unique step in DNA synthesis. It interacts with a broad range of proteins by a redox mechanism based on reversible oxidation of two cysteine thiol groups to a disulphide, accompanied by the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The net result is the covalent interconversion of a disulphide and a dithiol. It has been suggested that thioredoxin may catalyze the formation of correct disulfides during protein folding because of its ability to act as an efficient oxidoreductant. Trx also provides control over a number of transcription factors affecting cell proliferation and death through a mechanism referred to as redox regulation.