Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody to alpha 1 Fetoprotein

This gene encodes alpha~fetoprotein, a major plasma protein produced by the yolk sac and the liver during fetal life. Alpha~fetoprotein expression in adults is often associated with hepatocarcinoma and with teratoma, and has prognostic value for managing advanced gastric cancer. However, hereditary persistance of alpha~fetoprotein may also be found in individuals with no obvious pathology. The protein is thought to be the fetal counterpart of serum albumin, and the alpha~fetoprotein and albumin genes are present in tandem in the same transcriptional orientation on chromosome 4. Alpha~fetoprotein is found in monomeric as well as dimeric and trimeric forms, and binds copper, nickel, fatty acids and bilirubin. The level of alpha~fetoprotein in amniotic fluid is used to measure renal loss of protein to screen for spina bifida and anencephaly. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2019]