Biological Activity
Progranulin (PGRN) is a widely expressed pluripotent growth factorwhich plays a crucial role in various processes such as developmentcell cycle progressioncell motilitywound repair and inflammation. AdditionallyIt is also implicated in early embryogenesishost defensecartilage development and degradation. Mutations in the PGRN gene were found in cases of frontotemporal degeneration (FTLD). PGRN expression is associated with the development of various type of cancer such as breast cancerovarian carcinomaand multiple myeloma. Overexpression of PGRN has been observed in neurodegenerative diseases such as microglia of Creutzfeldt-Jacob patients and in spinal cord of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
