The thrombospondins are a family of multifunctional proteins. The family consists of thrombospondins 1–5 and can be divided into two subgroups: A, which contains
TSP-1 and
TSP-2, and B, which contains
TSP-3,
TSP-4 and TSP-5 (also designated
cartilage oligomeric protein or COMP). TSP-1 and TSP-2 are
homotrimers, consisting of three identical
subunits, whereas TSP-3, TSP-4 and TSP-5 are
homopentamers. TSP-1 and TSP-2 are produced by immature
astrocytes during
brain development, which promotes the development of new
synapses.
Thrombospondin 1 Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) is encoded by
THBS1. It was first isolated from
platelets that had been stimulated with
thrombin, and so was designated 'thrombin-sensitive protein'. In 2005, ABT-510 was evaluated in
phase II clinical trials for the treatment of several types of cancer. == Human proteins containing this domain ==