IGF Long3 was developed to substitute insulin as a growth promotor to cell lines in TISSUE CULTURE. These cells in have (like most cell types) IGF-1 receptors on there cell surface. But the can also secrete into the media IGF-1 binding proteins. Some, like IGF1 binding protein 4 for instance, DOWNREGULATE the effect of IGF-1. As a growth additive in tissue culture you do not really want any up or down regulatory effects because this throws up variables that will sway the results of experiments. Hence the addition of the 18 aa residue in IGF-1 Long three. It wil happily interact wih the cells (via their receptors) in tissue culture without being subjected to the vagaries of any secreted binding proteins.
But remember that in tissue culture we are just dealing with , for example , a monolayer of muscle cells. the majority of IGF-1 is produced in the liver. In order to get out of the liver it HAS to bind to a cell surface IGF-1 binding protein (IGF-1 BP-2) which actively shuttles it from this tissue to the bloodstream. (unlike fat soluble steroids IGF-1 is to big a molecule to just pass through cell menbranes without being the aid of transmembrane proteins. Once in the the blood stream IGF-1 is normally bound by a secretory binding protein (BP-3). This is a larege molecule whose role would appear to envelope the IGF-1 molecules and proect it from brakdown by proteases as it flows through the blood to target tissues.To then get into a tissue such as muscle. It must first be donated back to binding protein 2 for mebrane tranlocation. Once in the muscle the activity of the IGF1 is upregulated (bp-5) or downregulated (bp-4) by other binding proteins. Although once inside the tissue it does not need to be bound to BP's to elicit a response.Science has come a long way!