AIF1: Function and Connection with Inflammatory Diseases
Diego De León-Oliva, Cielo García‐Montero, Oscar Fraile‐Μartinez, Diego Liviu Boaru, Luis David García Puente, Antonio Rios-Parra, Maria J. Garrido-Gil, Carlos Casanova-Martín, Natalio García‐Honduvilla, Julia Buján, Luis G. Guijarro, Melchor Álvarez‐Mon, Miguel Á. Ortega
Abstract
Macrophages are a type of immune cell distributed throughout all tissues of an organism. Allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF1) is a calcium-binding protein linked to the activation of macrophages. AIF1 is a key intracellular signaling molecule that participates in phagocytosis, membrane ruffling and F-actin polymerization. Moreover, it has several cell type-specific functions. AIF1 plays important roles in the development of several diseases: kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases and neurological disorders, and in transplants. In this review, we present a comprehensive review of the known structure, functions and role of AIF1 in inflammatory diseases.