The PEVIVA Cell Death Product Line
Intracellular macromolecules are released from dying epithelial cells and may be detected in patient blood. Cytokeratins are suitable biomarkers for epithelial cell death since these proteins are only expressed in this cell type. Cytokeratin 18 (CK18) is cleaved by caspases during apoptosis – the presence of caspase-cleaved CK18 in plasma therefore shows epithelial cell apoptosis. In analogy, the presence of only uncleaved CK18 in plasma indicates epithelial cell necrosis.
