The annexins are a family of calciumdependent
phospholipid binding proteins which are
present in all eukaryotes. There are currently 12
identified human annexins all of which contain unique
calcium binding sites, encoded in the highly conserved
annexin repeat motifs within the C terminal core. In
addition to the C terminal core the annexins contain a
significantly more variable N terminal head. It is this
domain which endows each annexin with unique
functions in a diverse range of cellular processes
including; endo- and exocytosis, cytoskeletal regulation
and membrane conductance and organisation. Given
their involvement in such a variety of processes it is not
surprising that the annexins have also been implicated in
a range of disease pathologies. Although there is no
singular disease state directly attributed to a
dysregulation in annexin function, several pathological
conditions are suggested to be modified by the annexins.
In this review we shall focus on the growing evidence
for the role of the annexins in the progression of cancer,
diabetes and the autoimmune disorder anti-phospholipid
syndrome