Fetuin

They belong to a large group of binding proteins mediating the transport and availability of a wide variety of cargo substances in the bloodstream.

Like fetuin-A, fetuin-B is made predominantly by the liver and to a lesser extent by a number of secretory tissues.

The mouse strain DBA/2 is known for its proneness to calcify damaged tissues, a process called "dystrophic calcification".

[1] Fetuin-A has been shown to facilitate the binding of free fatty acids to TLR4 receptors, thereby inducing insulin resistance in mice.

Fetuin-A has been demonstrated to play an important role in free fatty acid induced insulin resistance in the liver.

[2][unreliable medical source] Obese persons have elevated circulating Fetuin-A, which can be reduced by metformin, exercise, or weight loss.

It is a negative acute-phase reactant in sepsis and endotoxemia, promotes wound healing, and is neuroprotective in Alzheimer's disease.

X-ray picture of a Fetuin-A knockout mouse (-/-) compared to a wildtype mouse (+/+). The bright dots in the fetuin-A deficient mouse indicate calcified lesions throughout the body.