[Current data on lipocortins]

Lipocortins, recently renamed annexins belong to a recently described family of intracellular proteins. Their main property is to bind negatively charged phospholipids in the presence of calcium. If lipocortins are added exogenously onto cells in vitro models or in vivo to the whole animal, they possess anti-inflammatory as well as anti-coagulant properties. Their intracellular function is unknown, nevertheless, it is possible that they may interact with some functions of membrane proteins, enzymes or other proteins as a consequence of their binding to cell membranes.