Human Annexin A5: from Biomarkers to Therapeutic Candidates / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

ABSTRACT

Human annexin A5 (hAnxA5) as an important functional protein molecule in the human body, widely exists in human cells and body fluids. hAnxA5, a member of annexin group with complex structure, exhibits a variety of biological functions by reversibly and specifically binding phosphatidylserine (PS) in a calciumdependent manner and plays an important role in many human physiological processes. This paper has made induction and summary of the biochemical characteristics, mechanism, biological effects and important biomedical applications of hAnxA5. The hAnxA5 is present in the form of monomer and often exercise biological functions in a polymer. hAnxA5 affects the occurrence and development of pathological phenomena, such as vascular thrombosis disease, autoimmune disease, tumor disease, pulmonary fibrosis and lung injury, nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis, etc. As a biomarker, hAnxA5 has also been adopted in the study of diseases such as tumor, neurodegenerative diseases, heart failure, acute renal injury, asthma and so on. As novel drug candidates, hAnxA5 and its derivatives have been designed and applied to the therapeutic exploration of many kinds of diseases, especially for thrombotic diseases. There are also some gaps and shortcomings for hAnxA5 research. The in-depth of its research will not only expand the understanding of structure and functional relationships, but also promote its application in the field of biomedicine.