Blood Proteins in Cell Culture

What are Blood Proteins in Cell Culture?

Blood proteins, or plasma proteins, refer to a group of molecules that are found in blood plasma. This group of proteins includes serum albumins, globulins, coagulation factors, and fibrinogen. Blood proteins play a critical role in human physiology. They are essential for various functions in the body like maintaining osmotic pressure, transporting nutrients, and facilitating immune responses.

Here we discuss the major categories of blood proteins, their functions within the body, and their applications in research and medicine.

Section Overview

• Major Categories of Blood Proteins
• Functions of Blood Proteins
• Applications of Blood Proteins in Research and Medicine
• Related Products

Major Categories of Blood Proteins

Albumins

The most abundant proteins found in blood plasma, albumins make up approximately 60% of the total protein content in plasma and are synthesized in the liver. Albumins have several crucial functions in humans, including regulating osmotic pressure and transport functions; they bind to cellular substances and facilitate their transport in the bloodstream. The most common types of albumins used in cell culture research include bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA), and recombinant albumin.

BSA is commonly used in laboratories in cell culture and protein assays to bind and sequester other proteins. It has also been used as a supplement for cell culture media, particularly for serum-free media and cultures.¹ HSA is used in research and diagnostic applications to sequester toxins and transport bioactive ligands, but can also be added to cell culture media to provide nutrients for cell growth. It can also be used as a stabilizer for vaccines.^2,3

Recombinant albumins are designed to mimic the properties of natural albumins and are commonly used in life science research, including drug discovery and development applications. Because they produced in recombinant systems, they are crucial for applied and diagnostic experiments.

Globulins

Globulins are a type of blood protein that are involved in immune function and transport. They can be further classified into alpha globulins, which transport lipids and fat-soluble vitamins, beta globulins, which include transferrin and are responsible for iron transport, and gamma globulins, which mainly consist of immunoglobulins and are crucial for the immune response.⁴

Fibrinogen

Fibrinogens play a key role in the coagulation process. These proteins are converted to fibrin during the blood clotting process, which helps to stop bleeding and initiate wound healing. Fibrinogen levels can be used to diagnose various health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, and can be used in studies for surgical and massive trauma patients.⁵

Coagulation Factors

Coagulation factors are a group of blood proteins that help form blood clots and prevent excessive bleeding during injuries. These factors are often used in life science research to monitor and investigate bleeding disorders. Essential coagulation factors include:

• Factor I (Fibrinogen)
• Factor II (Prothrombin)
• Factor VII (Proconvertin)
• Factor X (Stuart-Prower factor) 

Functions of Blood Proteins

Blood proteins are responsible for multiple functions within the body. Globulins, specifically immunoglobulins, play a significant role in the immune system by identifying and neutralizing foreign pathogens like bacteria and viruses.⁶ Blood proteins can also be responsible to nutrient transport throughout the body, including transferrin, which transports iron, and albumins, which carry fatty acids and other lipids. Fibrinogen and coagulation factors are essential for the blood clotting process, making these factors crucial for wound healing, preventing excess blood loss, and promoting tissue repair.

Applications of Blood Proteins in Research and Medicine

Blood proteins have a wide range of applications in life science research, including in cell culture and biology experiments, diagnostics and personalized medicine, and drug discovery and therapeutic development.⁷ In research settings, blood proteins are used to understand different biological processes, in drug discovery and novel therapeutic development, and when studying protein-protein interactions.

Blood proteins have been also used in diagnostic tests to evaluate different health conditions, such as determining liver function and immune status through albumin and globulin levels. In the drug discovery and development process, blood proteins are used to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of new therapeutics. They can also be used to identify new disease markers and treatment response in the biomarker discovery process, leading to more personalized medicine applications.