The dead cells still count

Newsletter


Webshop

Buy our products online


Search
 
BACK

M5 and M6 Keratin 18 antibodies

 (Prod. No. 10600/ 10650)

Background

In eukaryotic cells, the cytoskeleton is composed of three different types of morphologically distinct filamentous structures:

  • microfilaments,
  • intermediate filaments (IF),
  • microtubules.

    The epithelial keratins (IF types I and II, also called cytokeratins) are conserved phylogenetically and are closely related, biochemically and imunologically. Keratins 1-8 constitute the type II group (53-68 kDa, neutral to basic protein components), while keratins 9-20 constitute the type I group (40-56 kDa, acidic proteins).

    Upon release from dying cells, keratins provide useful markers for epithelial malignancies, distinctly reflecting ongoing cellular turnover. Certain keratins, the most prominent example being keratin 18, are substrates for lethal caspase activation and the subsequent release of defined protein fragments occurs during apoptotic cell death.

    The clinical value of determining different soluble keratin protein fragments in blood samples (i.e. using the M30 Apoptosense® ELISA or M65® ELISA) lies in the rapid and non-invasive assessment of drug efficacy or response to therapy in epithelial cell carcinomas.

    •   M6 Keratin 18 mAb
    (Upper and center panel):
    Frozen sections from human prostate tissue show confined staining for K18 in epithelial cells using M6 Keratin 18 mAb; secondary detection with anti mouse IgG ALEXA 488 and nuclear counterstain with DAPI.














    M5 Keratin 18 mAb
    (Lower panel):
    Formalin fixed and paraffin embedded section from a human prostate tissue shows confined epithelial staining for K18 with M5 Keratin 18 mAb; secondary detection with anti mouse IgG biotin, streptavidin POD and DAB as substrate.