Description: BMS171 (VU-1D9) specifically reacts with human Ep-CAM, a 40kD epithelial protein expressed on baso-lateral cell surface in many epithelial tissues (but absent from mesothelial tissues).
BMS171 differentiates between mesothelioma and carcinoma, a common diagnostic problem.
EpCAM-1 is a homophilic and Ca2+ independent adhesion molecule that is expressed on the baso-lateral cell surface of many epithelial, but not mesothelial tissues. It is expressed de novo in squamous cell carcinoma but is absent in the majority of healthy squamous epithelia. EpCAM expression correlates with cell proliferation, dedifferentiation, and the progression of tumorigenicity.
