Clusterin: It’s Implication in Health and Diseases.

Clusterin (CLU) is a glycoprotein with a nearly ubiquitous tissue distribution that has been reported to be implicated in several physiological processes as well as in many pathological conditions including ageing, diabetes, atherosclerosis, degenerative diseases and tumorigenesis including tumors of prostate, colon, and breast. Two distinct CLU mRNA isoforms,the conventional secreted form of CLU (sCLU) is thought to be a component of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol. sCLU functions as a chaperone for misfolded proteins and it is thought to promote survival by reducing oxidative stress. Nuclear CLU, formed by alternative splicing, is responsible for promoting apoptosis via a Bax-dependent pathway. This review will summarizes our understanding of the importance of CLU in various physiological functions and speculate on its role in disease.