Gastrin monoclonal antibody

Gastrin, which is normally formed by mucosal cells in the gastric antrum and by the D cells of the pancreatic islets, is a hormone whose main function is to stimulate secretion of HCl by the gastric mucosa. HCl, in turn, inhibits gastrin formation. Gastrin also stimulates smooth muscle contraction and increases blood circulation and water secretion in the stomach and intestine. Gastrin is regulated by epidermal growth factor in both mice and humans. Gastrin is excreted in excess by pancreatic tumors in the ZollingerEllison syndrome. Gastrin maps to human chromosome 17q21.2. GastrinReleasing Peptide (GRP) stimulates the release of gastrin as well as other gastrointestinal hormones, in addition to acting as an autocrine growth factor for certain cell types. High levels of GRP are found in the human lung just after birth and levels decrease thereafter in parallel with the observed disease in a number of pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. GRP is known to promote lung tumorigenesis in model systems and, interestingly, is induced by retinoic acid. GRP is involved in several functions with the hypothalamus, and is thought to play a role in regulating pituitary hormone secretion. GRP maps to human chromosome 18q21.