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Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Jul 2000alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) is a large serum glycoprotein belonging to the intriguing class of onco-developmental proteins. AFP has attracted considerable attention since it... (Review)
Review
alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) is a large serum glycoprotein belonging to the intriguing class of onco-developmental proteins. AFP has attracted considerable attention since it was shown that the change in its serum level during pregnancy is a hallmark of the development of numerous embryonic disorders, while the increase in its content in the plasma of adults correlates with the appearance of several pathological conditions. Over the past 30 years, some 11000 papers have been published concerning AFP, an average rate of over a publication a day since 1969. The majority of publications are about the application of the protein in diagnostics, or about other uses of AFP in biomedicine; though some of them describe the biochemical and functional properties of AFP, two aspects have been extensively reviewed. However, surprisingly little is currently known about structural properties of this protein as well as about the molecular mechanism of its function. The present review pursues the aim to describe the current state of the art in studies of structural properties and conformational stability of AFP. An attempt to establish the relationship between conformational transformations in AFP and its function is also made.
Topics: Protein Structure, Secondary; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 11004554
DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4838(00)00104-7 -
British Medical Journal (Clinical... Dec 1981
Topics: Female; Humans; Neural Tube Defects; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 6171323
DOI: No ID Found -
Therapeutic Delivery Aug 2014One approach to improving the activity of anticancer drugs is to bind them to the human α-fetoprotein (HAFP) that recognizes the tumor-associated cell-surface HAFP... (Review)
Review
One approach to improving the activity of anticancer drugs is to bind them to the human α-fetoprotein (HAFP) that recognizes the tumor-associated cell-surface HAFP receptor. A drug can be bound to the HAFP by covalent conjugation or within a non-covalent complex. Specially designed linkers couple cytotoxins to the HAFP and ensure the stability of the HAFP-drug conjugate in the circulation and the activation of the drug in the cancer cell. On the other hand, AFP-drug non-covalent complexes can exploit the natural role of the AFP as a nutrition delivery "shuttle". In this article we review the design of HAFP-drug conjugates and AFP-drug complexes and their potential uses.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 25337646
DOI: 10.4155/tde.14.59 -
Single-cell characteristics and malignancy regulation of alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer.Cancer Medicine May 2023To characterize alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) at the single-cell level and to identify regulatory factors for AFP expression and malignancy.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer (AFPGC) at the single-cell level and to identify regulatory factors for AFP expression and malignancy.
METHODS
ScRNA-seq was performed on two tumors collected from patients with AFPGC. InferCNV and sub-clustering were applied to identify typical AFPGC cells, followed by AddModuleScore, pathway enrichment, Pseudo-time, and Scenic analyses. Data from a gastric cancer (GC) cohort were collected for conjoint analysis. The analytical results were verified by cell experiments and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
AFPGC cells are similar to hepatocytes in transcriptome and transcriptional regulation, with kinetic malignancy-related pathways, compared to the common malignant epithelium. In addition, compared to common GC cells, malignancy-related pathways, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis, were upregulated in AFPGC. Mechanistically, Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) was found to be associated with AFP expression and malignant phenotype upon combining our scRNA-seq data with a public database, which was further verified by a series of in vitro experiments and immunohistochemistry.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated the single-cell characteristics of AFPGC and that DKK1 facilitates AFP expression and malignancy.
Topics: Humans; Stomach Neoplasms; alpha-Fetoproteins; Prognosis
PubMed: 37017469
DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5883 -
Experimental Biology and Medicine... Jun 2004The use of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as a serum marker in cancer actually predates its employment in the detection of congenital defects; however, the latter use of AFP as... (Review)
Review
The use of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as a serum marker in cancer actually predates its employment in the detection of congenital defects; however, the latter use of AFP as a fetal defect marker has propelled its clinical utilization. Although the serum-marker capacity of AFP has long been exploited, less is known of the biological activities of this oncofetal protein during fetal and perinatal development. In the present review, the biological activities of AFP are discussed in light of this glycoprotein's presence in various biological fluid compartments: embryonic and fetal tissues, serum, urine, and reproductive fluids. After a review of the histochemical detection of AFP in various cells and tissues during development, AFP concentrations within various biological fluids were discussed in the context of gestational age and anatomic location. Discussion follows concerning the relationships and roles of AFP in developmental events such as erthyropoiesis, histogenesis/organogenesis, and ligand binding and in developmental disorders such as hypothyroidism, folate deficiencies, and acquired immunodeficiency disorder (AIDS). Based on its association with so many types of birth defects, malformations, and congenital anomalies, AFP can be viewed as a molecular "troubleshooter" until signal transduction pathways are established during pregnancy and prenatal development. The review concludes with a discussion of the place of AFP in the rapidly expanding field of proteomics.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Perinatology; Pregnancy; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 15169963
DOI: 10.1177/153537020422900602 -
Clinical Chemistry Dec 1998
Clinical Trial
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Radioimmunoassay; Reference Values; Regression Analysis; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 9882169
DOI: No ID Found -
The New England Journal of Medicine Nov 1976
Topics: Female; Fetal Proteins; Humans; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 61560
DOI: 10.1056/nejm197611042951916 -
Anticancer Research 1995Alphafetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal glycoprotein that frequently reappears in sera of patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and yolk-sac tumours (YST).... (Review)
Review
Alphafetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal glycoprotein that frequently reappears in sera of patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and yolk-sac tumours (YST). In these cases AFP determination represents a useful marker for monitoring the therapeutic response and the clinical evolution of the neoplastic disease. AFP is a heterogeneous molecule with respect to the carbohydrate moiety and the different AFP glycoforms can be separated and characterized by their affinity for lectins, such as Concanavalin A (con A), and Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA). Increased production of LCA-reactive AFP has been proposed as a specific and early marker for HCC, while Con A non-reactive AFP could be a marker for YST and gastrointestinal malignancies. In this review the molecular basis of AFP microheterogeneity and the clinical application of AFP isoforms will be discussed.
Topics: Carbohydrate Sequence; Chromatography, Affinity; Humans; Immunoblotting; Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional; Lectins; Molecular Sequence Data; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 7544570
DOI: No ID Found -
UCLA Forum in Medical Sciences 1978
Comparative Study Review
Topics: Adult; Animals; Child; Estrogens; Female; Fetus; Growth Substances; Humans; Immunity; Infant, Newborn; Liver Diseases; Liver Regeneration; Mammals; Pregnancy; Serum Albumin; Species Specificity; Trypsin Inhibitors; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 80860
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of the Tennessee Medical... Apr 1979
Topics: Amniotic Fluid; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; alpha-Fetoproteins
PubMed: 89273
DOI: No ID Found