Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) also known as fetuin-A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the "AHSG" gene. Fetuin-A belongs to the fetuin class of plasma binding proteins and is more abundant in fetal than adult blood. Alpha2-HS glycoprotein, a glycoprotein present in the serum, is synthesized by hepatocytes. The AHSG molecule consists of two polypeptide chains, which are both cleaved from a proprotein encoded from a single mRNA. It is involved in several functions, such as endocytosis, brain development and the formation of bone tissue. The protein is commonly present in the cortical plate of the immature cerebral
Angiocrine growth factors Angiocrine growth factors Angiocrine growth factors are molecules found in blood vessels' endothelial cells that can stimulate organ-specific repair activities in damaged or diseased organs. Endothelial cells possess tissue-specific genes that code for unique growth factors, adhesion molecules and factors regulating metabolism. The discovery emerged after the entirety of active genes in endothelial cells was decoded, resulting in an atlas of organ-specific blood vessel cells. The atlas documented hundreds of already-known genes that had never been associated with these cells. Organs dictate the structure and function of their own blood vessels, including the repair molecules they secrete. Each organ produces