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CK18 is predominantly expressed in single-layer epithelial tissues throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, urogenital tract, as well as endocrine and exocrine tissues . It plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural stability of these cells and is involved in various cellular processes such as cell signaling, apoptosis, and stress response .
Mutations in the CK18 gene have been linked to cryptogenic cirrhosis, a liver disease of unknown origin . Additionally, CK18 is a valuable biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of various cancers. It is present in a majority of adenocarcinomas and ductal carcinomas but is not typically found in squamous cell carcinomas . Hepatocellular carcinomas, a type of liver cancer, express only CK8 and CK18 .
Recombinant human CK18 is produced using an expression system, typically in Escherichia coli (E. coli), and is purified to high levels of purity for research purposes . This recombinant protein is often tagged with a hexahistidine (His) tag to facilitate purification and detection in various assays . It is used as a positive control in immunological assays and is valuable in studying the protein’s function and interactions .
CK18 is widely used in research to study epithelial cell biology, cancer, and liver diseases. Its expression patterns are utilized in distinguishing different types of epithelial malignancies through immunohistochemistry, cytopathology, and flow cytometric assays . The recombinant form of CK18 allows researchers to investigate its role in cellular processes and its interactions with other proteins under controlled conditions .