Anti-von Willebrand Factor / vWF, clone F8/86

0.2 mg/ml in 1X PBS with 0.1 mg/ml BSA (US sourced) and 0.05% sodium azide. von Willebrand Factor (vWF) is a multimeric glycoprotein that is found in endothelial cells, plasma and platelets. It acts as a carrier protein for Factor VIII and promotes platelet adhesion and aggregation. vWF undergoes a variety of posttranslational modifications that influence the affinity and availability for Factor VIII, including cleavage of the propeptide and formation of N-terminal disulfide bonds. This antibody helps to establish the endothelial nature of some lesions of disputed histogenesis, e.g. Kaposi's sarcoma and cardiac myxoma. It is widely used for differentiating vascular lesions from those of other tissue differentiation within a panel of other vascular markers although not all tumors of endothelial differentiation contain this antigen. Protein function: Important in the maintenance of hemostasis, it promotes adhesion of platelets to the sites of vascular injury by forming a molecular bridge between sub-endothelial collagen matrix and platelet-surface receptor complex GPIb-IX-V. Also acts as a chaperone for coagulation factor VIII, delivering it to the site of injury, stabilizing its heterodimeric structure and protecting it from premature clearance from plasma. [The UniProt Consortium]