IGFBP-2, also known as IGFBP2, is a insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP). IGFBPs prolong the half-life of the IGFs , control bioavailability, activity, and distribution of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) through high-affinity IGFBP/IGF complexes. Six high-affinity IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-1 to -6) have been identified. The six IGFBPs are structurally related but encoded by distinct genes. IGFBPs have a high affinity for IGFs. Some members of the IGFBP family have been consistently shown to inhibit IGF actions by preventing them from gaining access to the IGF receptors, while others potentiate IGF actions by facilitating the ligand-receptor interaction. IGFBP-2 is overexpressed in many malignancies and is often correlated with an increasingly malignant status of the tumor, pointing to a potential involvement of IGFBP-2 in tumorigenesis. It contains 1 IGFBP N-terminal domain and 1 thyroglobulin type-1 domain. It inhibits IGF-mediated growth and developmental rates.
