Albumin human

Human serum albumin is the primary protein present in human blood plasma. The main function of albumin is to maintain the oncotic pressure of blood . It binds to water, cations (such as Ca2+, Na+ and K+), fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin, thyroxine (T4) and pharmaceuticals (including barbiturates). Albumin represents approximately 50% of the total protein content in healthy humans . Human albumin is a small globular protein (molecular weight: 66.5 kDa), consisting of a single chain of 585 amino acids organized in three repeated homolog domains (sites I, II, and III). Each domain comprises two separate sub-domains (A and B) . There are various preparations of albumin that are well established and widely available in the clinical setting , , . Also known as Albuminex 5% or 25%, one brand of human serum albumin is prepared from the pooled plasma of US donors in FDA-licensed facilities in the US . This is a biosimilar drug to existing human serum albumin and was approved for a biological license at both 5% and 25% concentrations by the FDA on June 21, 2018 .