The type I transmembrane glycoprotein EpCAM is a monomeric membrane glycoprotein that is expressed on most epithelial cell membranes as well as on a variety of epithelial carcinomas. It contains an extracellular domain with two epidermal growth factor-like extracellular domain repeats adjacent to a cysteine-poor region, along with a transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. EpCAM is a powerful tool for the detection of circulating and disseminated cancer cells (CTCs/DTCs) in blood and bone marrow, and it is the most commonly used epithelial marker to capture CTCs/DTCs. EpCAM expression appears to be down regulated during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Aleksic et al performed a western blot with the EpCAM antibody for their studies on the impact of insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and its nuclear import on downstream function1. Their data suggests that import may play a key role in identifying the efficacy of pathway-specific inhibitory drugs.
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Immunohistochemistry-Paraffin: EpCAM/CD326 Antibody
Further nuclear localization studies from Ralhan’s lab employed the EpCAM antibody to test nuclear EpCAM intracellular oncogenic domain (Ep-ICD) detection as a biomarker of aggressive thyroid cancer (TC)2. Immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical experiments with the EpCAM antibody allowed Anagnostaki’s group to contrast staining patterns between normal bladder epithelium and transitional carcinomas3. Molecular therapeutics researchers examined the role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in breast cancer metastasis with the EpCAM antibody, and were able to raise valid concerns about the safe use of MSCs as transgene delivery systems4. Flow cytometry employing the EpCAM antibody allowed Conaghan et al to monitor both in vitro and in vivo efficacy of unconjugated humanized anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibodies targeted to colorectal cancers5. Novus Biologicals offers EpCAM/CD326 reagents for your research needs including:
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