Anti-Cytokeratin 8 Antibody

This rabbit polyclonal antibody from Antibodies.com targets Cytokeratin 8 (KRT8), a type II intermediate filament protein that forms the structural backbone of simple and glandular epithelia. Validated for Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, and immunofluorescence, the reagent is widely used to confirm epithelial identity in tissue sections and cultured cells, and to distinguish epithelial-derived carcinoma lines (breast, lung, colorectal, hepatocellular) from mesenchymal or hematopoietic lineages.

Reactivity is confirmed against Human, Mouse, and Rat KRT8, supporting comparative work on patient specimens and standard rodent models of liver injury, pancreatitis, and tumor xenografts. The antibody is supplied unconjugated as a 100 µl liquid at 1 mg/ml in PBS with 0.1% sodium azide and 50% glycerol, a formulation that can be labeled directly or paired with a secondary detection reagent. For long-term keeping, aliquot the stock and freeze at -20 °C to limit freeze-thaw cycles.

Typical uses include tracking epithelial-mesenchymal transition by watching KRT8 fall as vimentin rises, defining tumor margins in resected specimens, and authenticating the epithelial origin of cell lines such as MCF-7, A549, and HepG2. The polyclonal format presents multiple epitope sites on the KRT8 molecule, which can help when probing denatured lysates or fixed paraffin-embedded tissue where a single monoclonal epitope may be masked.