Von Willebrand Factor (vWF, Factor VIII Related Antigen)

Human von Willebrand factor (vWF), also known as Factor VIII related antigen, is a blood glycoprotein involved in blood coagulation. It stabilises circulating Factor VIII by binding to it and protecting it from cleavage and delivers it to sites of vascular injury. vWF also promotes the adhesion of platelets to sites of vascular damage by forming a molecular bridge between collagen on exposed endothelial cells and the GPIb binding sites of platelets circulating in the blood. vWF circulates in the blood as large multimers, with each monomer (250kD) containing a number of specific domains. Hereditary or acquired defects in vWF lead to von Willebrand disease (vWD), characterised by varying degrees of susceptibility to bleeding. Symptoms might include nosebleeds, bleeding gums, easy bruising, menorrrhagia or gastrointestinal bleeding. Various forms of vWD exist with differing severities, determined by the type of defect. Clone 10A18 has a high affinity for an epitope within the platelet GPIb-binding site that is responsible for biological activity. As such the antibody is a potent inhibitor of vWF activity. It can completely neutralise ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and ristocetin-induced binding of vWF to platelets. It also inhibits platelet adhesion to glass beads. The epitope recognised is present only on the intact multimeric form of vWF and is abolished by mild denaturation with SDS. The antibody does not recognise human Factor VIII. Applications: Suitable for use in RIA, ELISA, Immunohistochemistry and Protein Purification. Other applications not tested. Recommended Dilution: Immunohistochemistry (Paraffin): 1:50-1:200. Requires antigen retrieval using pronase digestion prior to staining of paraffin sections. Optimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher. IHC Positive Control Tissue: Human tonsil, thymus, liver, spleen or kidney. Recommended Secondary Antibodies: I1904-06F IgG, H&L (FITC) (X-Adsorbed)(rat adsorbed) Pab GtxMo I1904-06H IgG, H&L (X-Adsorbed) (HRP)(rat adsorbed) Pab GtxMo I1904-09W IgG, H&L, X-adsorbed (HRP) (rat adsorbed) Pab GtxMo I1904-65N IgG (HRP) Pab Rb xMo I1903-07E IgG (HRP) Pab Rb xMo Storage and Stability: May be stored at 4 degrees C for short-term only. For long-term storage and to avoid repeated freezing and thawing, aliquot and store at -20 degrees C. Aliquots are stable for at least 12 months at -20 degrees C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.