Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of Interleukin 6 family. This protein is mainly expressed in the trophectoderm of the developing embryo, with its receptor LIFR expressed throughout the inner cell mass. LIF has the capacity to induce terminal differentiation in leukemic cells. Its activities include the induction of hematopoietic differentiation in normal and myeloid leukemia cells, the induction of neuronal cell differentiation, and the stimulation of acute-phase protein synthesis in hepatocytes. LIF is used in mouse embryonic stem cell culture, because that removal of LIF pushes stem cells toward differentiation, but they retain their proliferative potential or pluripotency. It is also used in phase II clinical trial, which can assist embryo implantation in women who have failed to become pregnant despite assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Mature rat LIF shares 91 % and 82 % a.a. sequence identity with Mouse and human LIF, respectively.

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Immunology