Background of the antigen
Axotrophin is a stem cell gene that encodes a protein which is involved in T lymphocyte regulation (especially in regulating the proliferation) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) release. LIF is a neuropoietic cytokine that is important for stem cell regulation and thymocyte stimulation. Both Axotrophin and LIF are linked to transplantation intolerance. Axotrophin is also involved in corpus callosum differentiation and may play a role in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-dependent sensory neuron survival in the substantia gelatinosa of the adult spinal cord. Axotrophin is primarily expressed in the hippocampus, cortex, purkinje and granule cells of the cerebellum.
