Anti Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EPCAM) mAb (Clone hrk29)

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM, CD326) is a glycoprotein of ∼40 kd that was initially described as a tumor-associated antigen by Koprowski and colleagues6 in 1979. It is of particular interest because of its high level of expression on a variety of carcinomas. Thus, it comes as no surprise that EpCAM is a candidate protein for tumor diagnosis and therapy. Most studies have focused on EpCAM as a favorable target for tumor therapy, involving monoclonal and bi-/tri-specific antibodies,7 vaccination strategies,8 toxin-conjugated antibody fragments,9 and an antibody fragment-targeted sTRAIL fusion protein.10 In contrast to the broad expression pattern of most other CAMs in normal tissues, the expression of EpCAM is restricted to normal epithelial cells. Based on the observation that EpCAM mediates cell-cell adhesion, Litvinov and colleagues11 proposed that EpCAM is a CAM. However, recent insights revealed a more versatile role for EpCAM, not merely limited to cell adhesion but similar to other CAMs, including processes such as signaling, cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. [adapted from: Trzpis M, McLaughlin PM, de Leij LM, Harmsen MC. (2007) Epithelial cell adhesion molecule: more than a carcinoma marker and adhesion molecule. Am J Pathol. 171(2):386-95.]