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Interleukin 5 (IL-5) is a member of the short-chain 4-α-helical bundle subset of hematopoietic cytokines. It binds to a receptor consisting of IL-5Ra, which is specific for IL-5R, and common beta chain, which is shared with the receptor for IL-3 and GM-CSF (Shearer). Upon binding to its receptor, IL-5 activates the JAK/STAT and MAPK pathways. IL-5 is produced by Th2 cells, eosinophils, and activated mast cells. It functions in the recruitment, activation, proliferation, and survival of eosinophils, thus playing an important role in allergic inflammation, asthma, and parasite immunity. Stimulation of eosinophils with IL-5 leads to their activation, upregulation of CD11b expression, and inhibition of apoptosis (Shearer).

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Interleukin 34 (IL-34) is well known for its ability to induce the formation of colony-forming unit macrophages in human bone marrow cell cultures (Foucher et al.; Wei et al.). This dimeric glycoprotein is a member of the short-chain helical hematopoietic cytokine family (Baghdadi et al.; Foucher et al.), and exists in two isoforms that differ by a single glutamine (Chen et al.; Foucher et al; Wei et al.). IL-34 interacts with M-CSF to trigger tyrosine phosphorylation of the receptor and ERK1/2 pathways. (Wang et al.; Wei et al.). It is expressed in many tissues (heart, brain, lung, liver, kidney, thymus, testes, ovary, small intestine, prostate, and colon), with the highest expression in the spleen. In combination with RANKL, IL-34 induces osteoclast differentiation (Chen et al.; Foucher et al.). IL-34 expression is decreased in Alzheimer’s disease and atopic dermatitis, while high levels of IL-34 are found in many types of cancer correlated with poor prognosis, chronic heart failure or coronary artery disease, inflammatory bowel disease, influenza A infection, during acute liver transplant rejection or in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and with rheumatoid arthritis (Baghdadi et al.). It is therefore a possible pharmacological target for treating bone or inflammatory diseases (Chen et al.). This protein contains a His-residue tag at the carboxyl end of the polypeptide chain, and the protein was purified as a homodimer consisting of 39 kDa monomers (Lin et al.).

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Mediate calcium phosphate clearance and prevent ectopic calcification with fetuin A, a plasma glycoprotein that forms soluble complexes with calcium and phosphate (Heiss et al.; Price and Lin). Belonging to the cystatin superfamily of cysteine protease inhibitors (Brown and Dziegielewska), fetuin A has also been shown to play a role in lipid transport, acting as a carrier (Kumbla et al.). In cell-based assays, it has been suggested that fetuin A protects against lethal systemic infection through the inhibition of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein accumulation and release (Li et al.). Fetuin A acts as a natural antagonist against specific TGF-β and BMP signaling proteins, blocking osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow cells (Demetriou et al.). This protein contains a His-residue tag at the carboxyl end of the polypeptide chain. For consistency and reproducibility across your applications, fetuin A from STEMCELL comes lyophilised with ≥94% purity, and endotoxin levels are verified to be ≤1.0 EU/μg protein.

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Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) promotes the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and the generation of neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages. In synergy with other cytokines such as stem cell factor, IL-3, erythropoietin, and thrombopoietin, it also stimulates erythroid and megakaryocyte progenitors (Barreda et al.). GM-CSF is produced by multiple cell types, including stromal cells, Paneth cells, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and Th1 and Th17 T cells (Francisco-Cruz et al.). The receptor for GM-CSF (GM-CSFR) is composed of two subunits: the cytokine-specific α subunit (GMRα; CD116) and the common subunit βc (CD131) shared with IL-3 and IL-5 receptors (Broughton et al.). GM-CSFR is expressed on hematopoietic cells, including progenitor cells and immune cells, as well as non-hematopoietic cells. Recombinant human GM-CSF (rhGM-CSF) promotes the production of myeloid cells of the granulocytic (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) and monocytic lineages in vivo. It has been tested for mobilisation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and for treating chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients. GM-CSF is able to stimulate the development of DCs that ingest, process, and present antigens to the immune system (Francisco-Cruz et al.). This product is animal component-free.

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Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), also known as CCL3, is a member of the CC family of chemokines and is most closely related to CCL4 or MIP-1 beta. Mouse MIP-1 alpha signal through CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, and D6 receptors (Menten et al.). MIP-1 alpha exhibits a variety of proinflammatory activities in vitro, including leukocyte chemotaxis, cytokine production, and mast cell activation, and it inhibits the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells in vitro and in vivo (Cook). MIP-1 alpha plays a critical role in macrophage recruitment into wounds and in tissue repair (DiPietro et al.). It has been demonstrated that blockade of the CCL3/MIP-1 alpha-CCR1 pathway blocks the recruitment of CCR1-expressing CD4+ T cells to the liver, showing a therapeutic potential for treating T cell-mediated liver diseases (Ajuebor et al.).

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Fibroblast growth factor 6 (FGF-6) is a heparin-binding member of the FGF family, regulators of cell proliferation, differentiation, and function. FGF-6 binds and signals through the FGF receptors 1c, 2c, and 4 (Ornitz et al.). FGF-6 is a potent mitogen for fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells, and prostate carcinoma cells (Asada et al.; Pizette et al.; Ropiquet et al.). FGF-6 is primarily expressed in epithelial and mesenchymal cell lineages. During development, FGF-6 is expressed in skeletal muscle, consistent with its role in muscle differentiation and regeneration (Floss et al.). FGF-6 has also been shown to promote chondrogenesis in embryonic somites in conjunction with transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2; Grass et al.).

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Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a key regulator of megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. TPO stimulates the proliferation and maturation of megakaryocytes and has an important role in regulating the level of circulating platelets in vivo (Bartley et al.; de Sauvage et al.; Foster et al.; Sohma et al.). TPO also promotes the survival, self-renewal, and expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and primitive multilineage progenitor cells. It is commonly used with other cytokines such as stem cell factor (SCF) and Flt3/Flk-2 ligand to promote expansion of primitive hematopoietic cells in culture (Hitchcock and Kaushansky). The TPO receptor, c-Mpl, is expressed at all stages of megakaryopoiesis, from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to mature platelets (Ng et al.).

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Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a neurotrophic factor and a member of the tumor growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily. The GDNF family of growth factors also includes neurturin, persephin, and artemin, which have seven conserved cysteine residues called cysteine-knot (Treanor et al.). GDNF family ligands signal through binding to specific GDNF-family receptor-α (GFRα) co-receptors and activate the RET receptor tyrosine kinase (Durbec et al.). Four different forms of GFRα co-receptors have been characterized (GFRα 1-4) out of which GDNF binds specifically to GFRα1 prior to forming a complex with RET (Airaksinen and Saarma). GDNF is known to promote survival and morphological differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in both in vivo and in vitro studies and increase their high-affinity dopamine uptake (Granholm et al.; Lin et al.). GDNF has also been shown to have restorative effects on dying dopaminergic neurons in response to degenerative toxins (Aoi et al.). GDNF, together with Human Recombinant BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Catalog #78005), BrainPhys™ Neuronal Medium (Catalog #05790), and other supplements, can be used to differentiate human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells into neurons (Bardy et al.). This product is animal component-free.

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Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a member of the CSF family of glycoproteins that regulate hematopoietic cell proliferation, differentiation, and function. It is a key cytokine involved in the production of neutrophils and the stimulation of granulocyte colony formation from hematopoietic progenitor cells (Metcalf and Nicola). G-CSF causes a range of effects including a transient reduction of SDF-1 expression (Petit et al.), the activation of metalloproteases that cleave VCAM-1 (Levesque et al.), and the release of norepinephrine from the sympathetic nervous system (Katayama et al.), leading to the release or mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow into the periphery. The G-CSF receptor is expressed on a variety of hematopoietic cells, including myeloid-committed progenitor cells, neutrophils, granulocytes, and monocytes. In addition to hematopoietic cells, G-CSF is also expressed in cardiomyocytes, neuronal cells, mesothelial cells, and endothelial cells. Mouse G-CSF was first purified from cultures of the WEHI-3B myelomonocytic leukemia cell line as the inducer of the terminal differentiation of WEHI-3B and other myeloid leukemia cell lines (Nicola et al.). It was later cloned in monkey COS cells from a cDNA library prepared with mRNA derived from mouse fibrosarcoma NFSA cells that produce G-CSF constitutively (Tsuchiya et al.). Binding of G-CSF to its receptor leads to activation of the JAK/STAT, MAPK, PI3K, and AKT signal transduction pathways.

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Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is a unique chemokine belonging to the CX3C family, and is characterized by a C-X3-C cysteine motif within the chemokine domain, near the amino terminus of the protein (Bazan et al.). The chemokine domain is connected to an extended mucin-like stalk, followed by a transmembrane region, and a C-terminal intracellular domain (Imai et al.; Jones et al.). The protein signals through interaction with a single receptor, CX3CR1, expressed on monocytes, natural killer cells, T cells, microglia, and smooth muscle cells. Fractalkine is upregulated in endothelial cells by inflammatory signals and is synthesized as a membrane-bound molecule that mediates cell migration and adhesion (White and Greaves). Cleavage at the base of the stalk by metalloproteinases generates a soluble chemokine, which functions as a potent chemoattractant of target cells (Garton et al.; Apostolakis and Spandidos). Fractalkine has been implicated in pathology of inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases, and has anti-apoptotic functions (White and Greaves).

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Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1α) is a member of the IL-1 family and a dual-function cytokine. Both the unprocessed precursor and a processed IL-1α protein signal through IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1). Various cells, including keratinocytes, thymic epithelium, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and the epithelial cells of mucous membranes have high levels of intracellular IL-1α precursor, which is also expressed on the surface of monocytes and B lymphocytes (Netea et al.). IL-1α recruits infiltrating cells to a site of injury during necrosis and plays an important role during processes of sterile inflammation (Rider et al.; Cohen et al.). During hypoxia, IL-1α contributes to angiogenesis (Carmi et al.). IL-1α is produced by microglia-like cells after ischemic brain injury, which contributes to the inflammation (Luheshi et al.).

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Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-165) is a heparin-binding homodimeric glycoprotein involved in embryonic vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. VEGF binds to VEGFR-1 (R1) and VEGFR-2 (R2), and activates Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways (Ferrara et al.). It plays an important role in neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo (Storkebaum et al.). It has neurotrophic effects on neurons of the central nervous system and promotes growth and survival of dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes. VEGF also promotes growth and survival of vascular endothelial cells, monocyte chemotaxis, and colony formation by granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (Ferrara et al.). VEGF-165 contains two polypeptide chains of 165 amino acids each. This product is animal component-free.

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Monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG), or CXCL9, is a member of the CXC chemokine family. MIG is closely related to two other chemokines: CXCL10 and CXCL11, all of which signal through the CXCR3 receptor (Ding et al.). MIG is secreted by a variety of immune cells including T cells, NK cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and eosinophils, as well as non-immune cells including hepatic stellate cells, preadipocytes, thyrocytes, endothelial cells, tumor cells, fibroblasts, and glial cells of the central nervous system. MIG has also been shown to act as a chemoattractant for activated T cells and for tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs), but not for neutrophils or for monocytes. MIG has also been reported to be both a tumor suppressor and tumor promoter in various types of cancer.

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Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HBEGF) is a member of the EGF family (Nishi and Klagsbrun). HBEGF promotes blastocyst adhesion to the uterine wall (Iwamoto and Mekada). It also plays a role in smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and brain injury (Nishi and Klagsburn). HBEGF produced by CD4+ T cells promotes wound healing by stimulating migration and proliferation of keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells (Blotnick et al.). It binds to EGFR, ErbB4, ErbB2, and ErbB3, activating the PI3K/AKT signaling cascade (Iwamoto and Mekada). HBEGF is produced in a variety of cells, where it contributes to physiological and pathological processes. HBEGF is overexpressed in ovarian, breast, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers, which likely contributes to pathogenesis (Miyata et al.).

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Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of interleukin 6 (IL-6) family of cytokines and bears close resemblance to leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in amino acid sequence and its modulation of differentiation in a variety of cell types (Rose and Bruce). OSM signals through type I receptor (consisting of gp130 and LIF receptor (LIFR)) and type II receptor (consisting of gp130 and OSM receptor (OSMR)), which eventually activate the JAK/STAT pathway (Auguste et al.; Gómez-Lechón). OSM is primarily produced by activated T cells and monocytes, and also by activated macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, and dendritic cells. OSM is also produced within the bone microenvironment by cells of both hematopoietic and mesenchymal origin including osteocytes and osteoblasts. OSM is involved in differentiation, cell proliferation, hematopoiesis, and inflammation, and also has been shown to have implications in liver development, bone formation and resorption (Sims and Quinn; Tanaka and Miyajima).

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Interleukin 3 (IL-3) is a species-specific pleiotropic cytokine that promotes the survival and proliferation of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells and lineage-committed progenitor cells and their differentiation into mature cells of most lineages, including basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, erythrocytes, and megakaryocytes (Yang et al.; Dorssers et al.; Broughton et al.). IL-3 is produced by activated T cells and has a physiological role in inflammation and allergies by promoting the secretion of inflammatory mediators such as histamine, IL-4, and IL-6 by basophils and eosinophils (Broughton et al.). The IL-3 receptor consists of a unique alpha subunit (CD123) and a beta common subunit (βc or CD131) that is shared with the receptors for IL-5 and GM-CSF, and is the principal signal transduction subunit for these cytokines. IL-3 binding to the heterodimeric receptor activates JAK/STAT, MAPK, and PI3K signaling pathways (Woodcock et al.).

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Persephin is a neurotrophic factor that belongs to the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family. Persephin shares a large degree of structural similarity to GDNF, artemin, and neurturin, and has overall neuroprotective activity. Persephin signals through GRFα4 (glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked GDNF receptor family member) which signals through the receptor tyrosine kinase RET. Unlike GDNF and neurturin, persephin only promotes the growth and survival of central dopaminergic and motor neurons, but not peripheral neurons (Milbrandt et al.). In vitro, persephin only promotes survival of neurons that co-express GPI-linked GRFα4 and RET (Enokido et al.; Lindahl et al.). Mice lacking persephin showed increased cell death after cerebral ischemia, however administration of persephin before ischemia dramatically reduced neuronal cell death (Tomac et al.).

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CD40 ligand is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily (Quezada et al.). CD40 ligand forms a bioactive homotrimer that exists as both soluble and membrane-bound forms (Khandekar et al.). CD40 ligand is expressed on T cells, monocytes, basophils, eosinophils, platelets, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells. Its receptor, CD40, is expressed on B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, platelets, endothelial cells, and epithelial cells (van Kooten and Banchereau). Binding of CD40 ligand to CD40 stimulates B cell proliferation, immunoglobulin class switching, antibody secretion, and T cell-dependent humoral responses. Dysregulation of CD40 ligand contributes to immune deficiency in HIV and AIDS (Rickert et al.). CD40 ligand has also been linked to the pathology of atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, and restenosis (Hassan et al.).

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Persephin is a neurotrophic factor that belongs to the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family. Persephin shares a large degree of structural similarity to GDNF, artemin, and neurturin, and has overall neuroprotective activity. Persephin signals through GRFα4 (glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked GDNF receptor family member) which signals through the receptor tyrosine kinase RET. Unlike GDNF and neurturin, persephin only promotes the growth and survival of central dopaminergic and motor neurons, but not peripheral neurons (Milbrandt et al.). In vitro persephin only promotes survival of neurons that co-express GPI-linked GRFα4 and RET (Enokido et al.; Lindahl et al.). Mice lacking persephin showed increased cell death after cerebral ischemia, however administration of persephin before ischemia dramatically reduced neuronal cell death (Tomac et al.). This product is animal component-free.

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Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) is a neurotrophic factor and a member of the nerve growth factor (NGF) family of proteins that includes neuron growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin-4/5. NT-3 signals a number of trophic effects through its transducing receptor tyrosine kinase TrkC. NT-3 is known to promote survival, development, and differentiation of neurons, and modulates transmitter release at several types of synapses in the peripheral and central nervous systems (Chalazonitis 1996). NT-3 has been shown to have an important role in the overall development of enteric neurons, which are crucial for gut peristalsis (Chalazonitis 2004). Studies in rats have shown the potential of NT-3 in dorsal column axonal regeneration (Bradbury et al.). NT-3 was shown to protect neurons against amyloid-β toxicity (Lesne et al.). NT-3 has applications in neuronal differentiation protocols to generate β-tubulin III+ peripheral neurons from neural crest stem cells (Menendez et al.) and oligodendrocyte precursor cells from human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (Douvaras et al.).

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Oncostatin M (OSM) is a member of interleukin 6 (IL-6) family of cytokines and bears close resemblance to leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in amino acid sequence and its modulation of differentiation in a variety of cell types (Rose and Bruce). OSM signals through type I receptor (consisting of gp130 and LIF receptor [LIFR]) and type II receptor (consisting of gp130 and OSM receptor [OSMR]), which eventually activate the JAK/STAT pathway (Auguste et al.; Gómez-Lechón). OSM is primarily produced by activated T cells and monocytes, and also by activated macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, and dendritic cells. OSM is also produced within the bone microenvironment by cells of both hematopoietic and mesenchymal origin, including osteocytes and osteoblasts. OSM is involved in differentiation, cell proliferation, hematopoiesis, and inflammation, and also has been shown to have implications in liver development and bone formation and resorption (Sims and Quinn; Tanaka and Miyajima). This product is animal component-free.

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Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1 beta), also known as CCL4, is a member of the CC family of chemokines and is most closely related to CCL3 (MIP-1 alpha). Cellular sources of MIP-1 beta include activated leukocytes (monocytes and T and B cells), brain endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells (Lukacs et al.; Menten et al.). MIP-1 beta, MIP-1 alpha, and RANTES have been shown to be major HIV-suppressive factors, possibly through the interactions of these chemokines with the receptor CCR5 on CD4+ T cells, which is also a major receptor for HIV entry into CD4+ T cells (Cocchi et al.; Menten et al.). MIP-1 beta attracts a variety of immune cells to sites of microbial infection. In addition to its chemotactic functions, MIP-1 beta induces the release of proinflammatory cytokines, mast cell degranulation, and NK cell activation (Schall et al.). In mice, recruitment of regulatory T cells to B cells and antigen-presenting cells by MIP-1 beta plays a central role in the initiation of T cell and humoral responses, and the depletion of regulatory T cells or MIP-1 beta results in deregulated humoral responses and production of autoantibodies (Bystry et al.).

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Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic growth factor with the wide range of biological activities in immune regulation, hematopoiesis, and oncogenesis. IL-6 is produced by a variety of cell types including T cells, B cells, monocytes and macrophages, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, vascular endothelial cells, and various tumor cell lines. On its own or in combination with other factors such as IL-2 and interferon-γ, IL-6 stimulates the proliferation of B cells, T cells, and hybridoma cells (Hirano et al.; Mihara et al.; Tanaka et al). In combination with cytokines such as IL-3, GM-CSF and SCF, IL-6 has been shown to promote hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro. IL-6 signals through a cell surface type I cytokine receptor complex consisting of the ligand-binding IL-6α (CD126) and the signal-transducing gp130 subunits. The binding of IL-6 to its receptor system includes activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway (Mihara et al.; Peters et al.; Tanaka et al.).

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Use Interferon beta (IFN-β) to modulate the activity of genes that control dendritic cell activation, T cell survival, NK cell activation, chemokine expression, lymph node retention, and antiproliferative and antiviral effects (Dunn et al. Nat Rev Immunol, 2006). IFN-β binds to a receptor complex composed of IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, and initiates signal transduction via the JAK/STAT pathway. It is predominantly produced by fibroblasts, with smaller amounts from plasmocytoid dendritic cells. Macrophages and endothelial cells secrete IFN-β in response to viral infection (Reder and Feng. Front Immunol, 2013). IFN-β suppresses Th17 cells by affecting expression of IL-4, IL-10, and IL-27, and is a first-line treatment for multiple sclerosis. IFN-β was also shown to expand regulatory T cells and limit T cell trafficking to the central nervous system (Inoue and Shinohara. Immunology, 2013). Of the two IFN-β variants (IFN-β1 and IFN-β3), this product is the IFN-β1 form.

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Interleukin 2 (IL-2) is a monomeric cytokine that was originally identified as a T cell growth factor (Gaffen and Liu). It binds to heterotrimeric receptors consisting of CD25, CD122, and CD132. Upon binding, it activates JAK3-, STAT5-, and AKT-dependent signaling pathways, which results in cellular proliferation and survival (Ma et al.). The majority of IL-2 is secreted by activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, although B cells and dendritic cells were found to produce IL-2 in small amounts. IL-2 downregulates immune responses to prevent autoimmunity during thymic development, influences the development of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, and affects development of follicular helper T cells. IL-2 also controls inflammation by inhibiting Th17 differentiation (Banchereau et al.). High IL-2 levels in serum are associated with progression of scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, and gastric and non-small cell lung cancer, though no known disease can be directly attributed to the lack or excess of IL-2 (Gaffen and Liu).

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Use autotaxin (ENPP2) to catalyse the production of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a potent mitogen that can evoke growth factor-like responses (Moolenaar and Corven), from lysophospholipids in extracellular fluids. Autotaxin is a secreted glycoprotein that belongs to the ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (ENPP) family, containing two N-terminal somatomedin B (SMB)-like domains, a central phosphodiesterase (PDE) domain with an active catalytic site, and a C-terminal nuclease-like (NUC) domain (Nishimasu et al.). Dysregulation of autotaxin and LPA receptors is implicated in cancer (Tigyi et al.), fibrosis (Ninou et al.), neurological disorders (Roy et al.), and other inflammation-associated conditions. Both Autotaxin and LPA are overexpressed in many cancers and can promote cell proliferation, migration, and resistance to apoptotic death (Tigyi et al.). Autotaxin was also found to catalyse the production of cyclic phosphatidic acid (CPA), an analog of LPA, which has anti-mitogenic and inhibitory effects on tumor cell invasion and metastasis (Fujiwara). This protein contains a His-residue tag at the amino end of the polypeptide chain. For consistency and reproducibility across your applications, Autotaxin from STEMCELL comes lyophilised with ≥85% purity, and endotoxin levels are verified to be ≤1,0 EU/μg protein.

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Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is a four-alpha helix bundle cytokine with many similar properties to IL-2, with which it shares components of its receptor. The IL-15 receptor is a heterotrimeric receptor composed of IL-15Ra, the high-affinity receptor for IL-15, as well as IL-2/15Rb (CD122) and common gamma chain (CD132). IL-15 binds to IL-15Rα receptor and can then be presented in trans to IL-2/15Rb and common gamma chain on other cells. Trans-presentation is thought to be the major mechanism by which IL-15-mediated responses occur in mice, although may not be necessary in humans (Castillo et al.). The cytoplasmic domains of IL-2/15Rb and common gamma chain mediate signaling to activate JAK/STAT and PI3K pathways. IL-15 supports the survival and proliferation of naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and promotes homeostasis of memory T cells. IL-15 also promotes the survival and differentiation of NK cells and regulates their cytolytic activity (Ma et al.).

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Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), also known as type II interferon, is produced by T and NK cells, and in smaller amounts by dendritic cells and macrophages. IFN-γ is controlled by cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-18 secreted in response to infection (Schroder et al.). IFN-γ binds to a receptor complex and initiates signal transduction via the JAK/STAT pathway; this culminates in the transcription and activation of many genes that control a diverse array of immunological functions (De Weerd and Nguyen; Krause et al.). IFN-γ stimulates the antimicrobial and anti-tumor activity of macrophages, NK cells, and neutrophils (Billiau and Matthys) by promoting the activation of microbial effector functions such as production of reactive oxygen species, NO intermediates, complement, etc. (Schroder et al.). IFN-γ enhances MHC class I and II expression in dendritic cells and mononuclear phagocytes, as well as the production of IL-12 by dendritic cells. In B cells, IFN-γ stimulates survival and growth in both mouse and human cells, and redirects B cells from proliferation towards differentiation. IFN-γ favors the development of Th1 vs Th2 cells and stimulates monocyte differentiation and function (Schroder et al.).

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Fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF-10) is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family which is predominantly expressed by mesenchymal fibroblasts during embryonic development (Emoto et al.; Igarashi et al.). It binds with high affinity to fibroblast growth factor receptor 2-IIIb (FGFR2-IIIb), and also has a weaker affinity for FGFR1-IIIb (Beer et al.). FGF-10 and FGF-7 have similar receptor binding properties and target cell specificities but are differentially regulated by components of the extracellular matrix (Emoto et al.; Igarashi et al.). FGF-10 has been shown to mediate epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, which are essential to lung development (Sekine et al.; Ware and Matthay). FGF-10 also has a role in mobilisation and proliferation of lung-resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and protection and repair against acute lung injury (Tong et al.; Ware and Matthay) and endodermal differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to insulin-producing pancreatic-like cells (Takeuchi et al.). This product is animal component-free.

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Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) promotes the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and the generation of neutrophils, eosinophils, and macrophages. In synergy with other cytokines such as stem cell factor, IL-3, erythropoietin, and thrombopoietin, it also stimulates erythroid and megakaryocyte progenitor cells (Barreda et al.). GM-CSF is produced by multiple cell types, including stromal cells, Paneth cells, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and Th1 and Th17 T cells (Francisco-Cruz et al.). The receptor for GM-CSF (GM-CSFR) is composed of two subunits: the cytokine-specific α subunit (GMRα; CD116) and the common subunit βc (CD131) shared with IL-3 and IL-5 receptors (Broughton et al.). GM-CSFR is expressed on hematopoietic cells, including progenitor cells and immune cells, as well as non-hematopoietic cells. Recombinant human GM-CSF (rhGM-CSF) promotes the production of myeloid cells of the granulocytic (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) and monocytic lineages in vivo. It has been tested for mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells and for treating chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients. GM-CSF is able to stimulate the development of DCs that ingest, process, and present antigens to the immune system (Francisco-Cruz et al.).