The Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, or IGFBPs, are a family of seven proteins that have co-evolved with the IGFs. IGFBPs serve as shuttle molecules for both IGF-I and IGF-II and confer a level of regulation to the IGF signaling system by influencing the bio-availability, concentration and distribution of IGFs in the extracellular environment. In human circulation, the IGFbinging protein complex requires ALS (IGFBP acid-labile subunit), an extracellular protein involved in receptor-ligand binding and cell adhesion. ALS, detected primarily in plasma, is involved in protein-protein interactions that result in the formation of protein complexes.
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