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Updated: May 16, 2026

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Lipid A from Gram-negative Bacteria
Published on: September 16, 2013
Bactericidal/permeability increasing protein: a multifaceted protein with functions beyond LPS neutralization
Arjun Balakrishnan1, Sandhya A Marathe, Madhura Joglekar
1Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Biosafety Laboratories, Indian Institute of Science, India.
Abstract:
Bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI), a 55-60 kDa protein, first reported in 1975, has gone a long way as a protein with multifunctional roles. Its classical role in neutralizing endotoxin (LPS) raised high hopes among septic shock patients. Today, BPI is not just a LPS-neutralizing protein, but a protein with diverse functions. These functions can be as varied as inhibition of endothelial cell growth and inhibition of dendritic cell maturation, or as an anti-angiogenic, chemoattractant or opsonization agent. Though the literature available is extremely limited, it is fascinating to look into how BPI is gaining major importance as a signalling molecule. In this review, we briefly summarize the recent research focused on the multiple roles of BPI and its use as a therapeutic.
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