Anti-Cystatin C (7F11), monoclonal

Cystatin C is a 13-kDa inhibitor of cysteine proteinases which is secreted by all cell types and is completely cleared from the organism through glomerular filtration, shown to be an early and sensitive biomarker of renal dysfunction. A mutation in Cystatin C has been associated with amyloid angiopathy. Expression of this protein in vascular wall smooth muscle cells is severely reduced in both atherosclerotic and aneurysmal aortic lesions, establishing its role in vascular disease. In addition, this protein has been shown to have an antimicrobial function, inhibiting the replication of herpes simplex virus. Protein Function: As an inhibitor of cysteine proteinases, this protein is thought to serve an important physiological role as a local regulator of this enzyme activity [The Uniprot Consortium]