PRAME stands for “preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma.” It is a special type of protein called a cancer-testis antigen. This means that PRAME is usually found in cancer cells and normal cells within the testis, but rarely in other normal tissues of the body. Because PRAME is mostly found in cancer cells, pathologists often test …
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OCT3/4 is a protein found inside certain types of cells. This protein is important because it helps maintain cells in an immature or stem cell-like state. Stem cells are special cells that can develop into many different types of cells in the body. OCT3/4 is especially important during early human development. Why do pathologists test …
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Pancytokeratin is a term pathologists use to describe a group of proteins called cytokeratins found within specific cells, particularly epithelial cells. Epithelial cells line surfaces inside and outside the body, including the skin and internal organs. Pancytokeratin tests detect many different types of cytokeratins at the same time. Why do pathologists test for pancytokeratin? Pathologists …
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DOG1 (Discovered On GIST-1) is a protein found on the surface of certain cells. Pathologists use it as a diagnostic marker, a protein they can stain for to help identify what type of tumor they are looking at. DOG1 was first discovered in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which is where its name comes from, but …
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STAT6 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 6) is a protein found in cells. It plays a key role in transmitting signals from outside a cell to its nucleus, where genetic material is stored. This signaling helps regulate how cells grow, divide, and respond to their environment. STAT6 is especially important in controlling immune system …
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SATB2 (Special AT-rich Sequence-Binding Protein 2) is a protein that plays an important role in controlling how specific genes are turned on and off. This protein helps cells grow and function normally by organizing the genetic information inside them. SATB2 is like a “manager”, ensuring specific genes work as needed. What types of normal cells …
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GFAP stands for glial fibrillary acidic protein. It is a protein found in specific cells of the nervous system and in the salivary glands. GFAP is important because it helps maintain the structure and supports the function of these cells. What types of normal cells and tissues express GFAP? Examples of cell types that normally …
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CD138 (also known as syndecan-1) is a protein found on the surface of plasma cells — a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, which are proteins the immune system uses to fight infections. CD138 is also found on the surface of epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the inner surfaces of …
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WT1 is a protein that works inside the nucleus of a cell, where it switches other genes on and off. Its name is short for Wilms tumor 1 because the gene that makes it was first discovered in Wilms tumor, a kidney cancer in children. Pathologists test for WT1 to help identify several types of …
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SMA stands for smooth muscle actin, a type of protein found inside certain cells in the body. It plays an important role in helping cells move and maintain their shape. There are different types of actin proteins, but alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is the type most commonly used in pathology testing. Pathologists use SMA …
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