SCF Antibody

Stem Cell Factor (also called kit-ligand, KL1, and Steel factor) is a cytokine that binds to the c-Kit receptor (CD117). SCF can exist both as a transmembrane protein and a soluble protein. It is localized to the long arm of human chromosome 12, between 12q14.3 and 12qter. SCF plays a role in the regulation of HSCs in the stem cell niche in the bone marrow. It has been shown to increase the survival of HSCs in vitro and contributes to the self renewal and maintenance of HSCs in-vivo. HSCs at all stages of development express the same levels of the receptor for SCF (c-Kit). The stromal cells that surround HSCs are a component of the stem cell niche, and they release a number of ligands, including SCF.