Immunology

Apoptosis is one of the main types of programmed cell death which involves a cascade of biochemical events leading to specific cell morphology characteristics and ultimately death of cells.

S100A12 (Calgranulin C) belongs to the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins. The 20 members of this group share EF-hand domains which are involved in binding of calcium. S100A12 is expressed by granulocytes, whereas its expression by monocytes remains controversial (1). S100A12 is secreted by activated granulocytes (2). S100A12 is a ligand for the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) expressed on macrophages, lymphocytes and endothelium.

Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1), also known as Chemokine C-C motif Ligand 2 (CCL2), is a small cytokine involved in immune response, inflammation and tissue repair. Specifically, MCP1 is responsible for recruiting monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells to sites of tissue injury or infection. MCP-1 is produced by a wide range of cell types as a reaction to diverse inflammatory stimuli, and has been implicated in many diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.

Interleukin 6 is a complex pleiotropic cytokine having both anti and pro-inflammatory effects. Alterations in expression contribute to many human diseases, and the IL6 antibody is widely used in the research areas of innate and adaptive immunity, autoimmune disorders; CAD (coronary artery disease); neurological disorders; cancer and inflammatory disease.

Apoptosis is one of the best-characterized phenomena in cellular and molecular biology. Not only is it essential for successful development, but its deregulation also leads to a number of human diseases, most notably cancer.

Vimentin is a 57kDa type III intermediate filament (IF) protein that is the major cytoskeletal component of mesenchymal cells and the first to be expressed during cell differentiation. It plays a significant role in supporting and anchoring the position of the organelles in the cytosol and its dynamic nature is important for cell flexibility.  It is responsible for maintaining cell shape and cytoplasm integrity.

Microglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, and the first line of immune defense. Pioneering antibody research in the 1990's identified the Integrin beta 2 protein (also called ITGB2, complement receptor 3, CR3, CD18, and Mac-1) as one of the key proteins in the recruitment of microglial cells. The ITGB2 subunit A is commonly called CD11b, and antibodies to this subunit are widely used as microglial markers.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha, or TNF alpha antibody products are widely used in cytokine and immunology research. TNF alpha is a pleiotropic ligand which plays an essential role in apoptosis, immune system development and the inflammatory response.

What is CD11b?

CD11b is an integrin family member which pairs with CD18 to form the CR3 heterodimer. CD11b is expressed on the surface of many leukocytes including monocytes, neutrophils, natural killer cells, granulocytes and macrophages, as well as on 8% of spleen cells and 44% of bone marrow cells. Functionally, CD11b regulates leukocyte adhesion and migration to mediate the inflammatory response.

CD4 is a member of the cluster of differentiation family of proteins, mainly expressed on the surface of thymocytes and a specific subset of mature T-cells. CD4 antibody studies have also shown it expressed on monocytes, cortical cells, microglial cells, dendritic cells and macrophages. The CD4 antibody is widely used in cell marker studies, CD4 being one of the most common CD markers in use.