ITIH5
ITIH5 (inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 5) is the most divergent member of the ITI heavy chain family, sharing the VIT domain and ITI-type modules but, unlike ITIH1 to ITIH4, it does not covalently associate with bikunin and is therefore not incorporated into circulating inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor complexes. It is secreted and binds to the extracellular matrix, with prominent expression in breast, pancreas and placenta. ITIH5 has attracted attention as a putative tumor suppressor: its promoter is frequently hypermethylated and expression silenced in breast and other carcinomas, and restoring expression impairs tumor cell invasion. Recombinant ITIH5 supports matrix biology and cancer epigenetics research.
