CHIMERIC PROTEINS, HETERODIMER COMPLEXES THEREOF AND SUBSTITUTE FOR PLATELET

摘要

Integrin-immunoglobulin chimeric protein heterodimer complexes in which the alpha -chain and beta -chain of integrins have been associated in a stable state. These complexes are not only usable as drugs as such but also applicable to the assaying of binding of integrins to ligands and the detection of substances binding to integrins or those inhibiting binding of integrins to ligands. These comnplexes are also usable as diagnostic agents. It has been found that integrins isolated in a stably associated structure would bind to extracellular matrixes under physiological conditions in the presence of plasma components, which indicates that integrins and, in its turn, extracellular matrix receptors might be usable as substitutes for platelets.