Serum and extracellular matrix proteins

Serum and extracellular matrix proteins constitute a vast category of non-cellular proteins essential for physiological homeostasis and tissue structure. Serum proteins, primarily synthesized in the liver, include albumin and various globulins that facilitate the transport of endogenous and exogenous substances while regulating blood volume (Bansal et al., 2023). Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, such as collagen, laminin, and fibronectin, form the structural framework of tissues and mediate critical cellular functions including adhesion, migration, and differentiation (Dubreuil et al., 2002). These proteins are often implicated in pathogenesis; for example, they serve as attachment sites for bacteria like Helicobacter pylori and undergo detrimental cross-linking in the presence of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) during chronic diabetes (Bansal et al., 2023). Although the category itself is too broad to be a single therapeutic target, individual components are targeted by drugs like collagenase for treating contractures or integrin antagonists to prevent thrombosis by blocking ECM-receptor interactions.

Other names

Extracellular matrix proteinsSerum proteinsPlasma proteinsHost proteinsECM proteins

Drugs targeting components of this group act through diverse mechanisms: enzymatic degradation of structural proteins, competitive inhibition of cell-matrix adhesion via receptor blockade, or prevention of pathological post-translational modifications such as non-enzymatic glycation.