EPCAM Human
Description
EPCAM is fused to a 25 amino acid His-tag at N-terminus & purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
The Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM), also known as CD326, is a transmembrane glycoprotein that plays a crucial role in cell-cell adhesion, signaling, migration, proliferation, and differentiation . It is encoded by the EPCAM gene in humans and is widely expressed in various epithelial tissues .
EpCAM was first identified in 1979 as a tumor-associated antigen on colorectal carcinomas . It consists of an extracellular domain (EpEX) with 265 amino acid residues and an intracellular domain (EpICD) with 26 amino acid residues . The molecule mediates calcium-independent homotypic cell-cell adhesion in epithelial tissues .
EpCAM is involved in several critical cellular processes:
- Cell Adhesion: It mediates homotypic cell-cell adhesion, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of epithelial tissues .
- Cell Signaling: EpCAM participates in intracellular signaling pathways, including the WNT and Ras/Raf pathways .
- Cell Proliferation and Differentiation: It plays a role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation, contributing to tissue homeostasis .
- Migration and Invasion: EpCAM is implicated in cell migration and invasion, particularly in the context of cancer metastasis .
EpCAM is overexpressed in many carcinomas, including colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers . Its high expression levels in tumors make it a valuable prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target . EpCAM-specific recombinant immunotoxins have shown potent antitumor activity in preclinical studies .
EpCAM has been explored as a target for cancer immunotherapy. Recombinant immunotoxins, which combine EpCAM-specific antibodies with cytotoxic agents, have demonstrated selective antitumor activity . These immunotoxins can inhibit protein synthesis and reduce the viability of EpCAM-positive carcinoma cells .
