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VWF Form and Function: About the Piece Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) is a complex multimeric glycoprotein critical in normal haemostatic function. VWF contributes to haemostasis in two main roles firstly as a carrier for procoagulant factor VIII and secondly, to recruit and adhere to platelets at sites of vascular injury (Lenting et al. 2015). Under physiological conditions, VWF biosynthesis is restricted to endothelial cells (EC), megakaryocytes and platele …

By Charlotte O'Donnell PhD The genes of the IL-36 family members are located in a cluster on chromosome 2 [1]. All three activating ligands, IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ share the classic IL-1 β-trefoil structure, and lack a signal peptide. IL-36α, IL-36β, and IL-36γ lack a signal sequence, and thus cannot be transported to the endoplasmic reticulum. Similar to IL-1β and IL-18, the N-terminus must be cleaved for full agonist or antagonist bioactivity …

By Charlotte O'Donnell PhD A role for IL-33 in Barrier Function and Epithelial Wound Healing IL-33 is constitutively expressed by cells involved in the maintenance of mechanical barriers, including keratinocytes, lung and gut epithelial cells, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells [1]. In these cells IL-33 is localized to the nucleus and mediates gene transcription. It is believed to maintain a quiescent sta …

ST2, a member of the IL-1R Subfamily ST2 is a member of the IL-1R subfamily and was identified in 1989 [1]. The ST2 gene is located on chromosome 2q12 in humans and contains 13 introns and spans 40 kilobases (kb). In humans three splice variants exist, ST2L, sST2 and ST2V (Figure 1a). ST2L is a transmembrane bound receptor and as such specifically belongs to the Toll/IL-1R (TIR) superfamily and shows homology to the intracellular domain of IL-1R1 [ …

The IL-1 Cytokine The cytokine, IL-1, has been the subject of copious research since it was first identified. This pro-inflammatory cytokine is known to play a dichotomous role in disease by inducing pathogenesis of auto-inflammatory disorders, while simultaneously defending against invading pathogens [1]. IL-1 is implicated in the development of numerous inflammatory diseases including ulcerative colitis. This has resulted in the mechanism behind IL-1 …