Antithrombin III monoclonal antibody

The serine proteinase inhibitors (serpins) compose a superfamily of proteins with a diverse set of functions, including the control of blood coagulation, complement activation, programmed cell death and development. Serpins are secreted glycoproteins that contain a stretch of peptide that mimics a true substrate for a corresponding serine protease. Antithrombin III (ATIII), an extracellular plasma protein, is a crucial serine protease inhibitor that regulates the coagulation cascade in blood. The inhibitory activity of ATIII is amplified in the presence of heparin. ATIII inhibits Thrombin and Factors IX A, X A and XI A. Defects in the gene SERPINC1, which encodes for ATIII, can cause ATIII deficiency, an autosomal dominant disease, which is a risk factor for hereditary thrombophilia.