Recombinant Human NT-3 (N117-GRP)

Neurotrophin 3 (NT-3), also known as NGF-2 and HDNF, is a basic protein and member of the NGF family. It is structurally related to β-NGF, BDNF and NT-4 (1), is expressed by neurons of the central nervous systems and can signal through the Trk receptors (2). NT-3 is also expressed in muscles and its expression is down-regulated in denervated muscles. It rapidly potentiates the spontaneous and impulse-evoked synaptic activity of developing neuromuscular synapses in culture and thus appears to be involved in the regulation of functions of developing synapses (3). NT-3 negatively modulates NGF receptor expression and associated nociceptive phenotype in intact neurons, suggesting a beneficial role in treating aspects of neuropathic pain mediated by NGF. In addition, NT-3 is effective at suppressing thermal hyperalgesia associated with chronic constriction injury (CCI) (4). NT-3 affects development of neurons in the embryo when it is expressed in human placenta. Mice born without the ability to make NT-3 show the loss of pro-prioceptive including subsets of mechanoreceptive sensory neurons (5). The amino acid sequences of human, murine and rat NT-3 are identical.