The MK167, or Ki67 antibody recognizes a nuclear protein encoded by the MK167 gene. Ki167 is involved with RNA transcription and essential to cellular proliferation, being expressed by proliferating cells at all stages of the active cell cycle; it is exclusively used as a marker for cellular proliferation. The Ki67 antibody is a useful tool in cancer research and neuroscience studies; however, MIB-1 antibodies also target the Ki67 marker and are preferred for clinical use. During interphase, Ki67 is exclusively located in the nucleus, but relocates to the chromosome surface during cell division. The Ki67 antibody is a highly useful aid for determining the growth faction of cell populations in neoplasms and tumors, particularly those of the brain, prostate and breast. The faction of Ki67-positive tumour cells is called the Ki-67 labelling index, the value of which strongly correlates to the clinical development of cancer. Low Ki67 indices are indicative of low-grade tumors and a more favourable outcome for the patient.
For determining the Ki67 index in clinical applications, the Ki67 antibody has largely been superseded by MIB1 antibodies. This is because they were found to target the Ki67 antigen in the same way, but with the added advantage of being viable for use in paraffin-embedded immunohistochemistry assays, following microwave-mediated antigen retrieval. This situation has improved, and today around half the Ki67 antibodies we at Novus Biologicals have in our antibody catalog can be used for paraffin embedded sections. However, these products are exclusively for research use only, and MIB1 antibodies remain the norm in the clinical environment. Novus Biologicals offers many Ki67 reagents for your research needs including:
