AssayPro—Human IGF-1 ELISA Kit

Introduction
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) is a 70 amino acid polypeptide protein hormone with molecular mass of 7.65 kDa (1). IGF-1 is produced primarily by the liver in response to the stimulation of growth hormone. It is transported, in plasma, bound to different forms of IGF-1 binding proteins (2). It also binds to a specific IGF-1 tyrosine kinase receptor and the insulin receptor. Inhibition IGF-1 receptor reduces pancreatic cancer growth and angiogenesis (3). IGF-I regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and amyloid precursor protein family (4 - 5). It may be important in the pathophysiological processes underlying chronic disease, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease (6 - 8). Increased levels of IGF-I lead to an increased risk of cancer (9). IGF-I stimulates osteoblast proliferation, bone formation, and increases bone volume (10). It is a potent neurotrophic as well as a neuroprotective factor found in the central and the peripheral nervous systems of the brain (11).

Principle of the Assay
The AssayMax Human Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 ELISA kit is designed for detection of human IGF-1 in plasma, serum, and cell culture supernatants. This assay employs a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique, which measures IGF-1 in less than 5 hours. A monoclonal antibody specific for human IGF-1 has been pre-coated onto a microplate. Human IGF-1 in standards and samples is sandwiched by the immobilized antibody and biotinylated polyclonal antibody specific for human IGF-1, which is recognized by a streptavidin-peroxidase conjugate. All unbound material is then washed away and a peroxidase enzyme substrate is added. The color development is stopped and the intensity of the color is measured.