Anti-HCAM / CD44, clone 156-3C11

Prediluted in 1X PBS with 0.1 mg/ml BSA (US sourced) and 0.05% sodium azide, *For IHC use only*. This antibody recognizes a cell surface glycoprotein of 80-95kDa, called CD44, or HCAM, on lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes (Leucocyte Typing Workshop V). Its epitope is resistant to digestion by trypsin and chymotrypsin. The CD44 family of glycoproteins exists in a number of variant isoforms, the most common being the standard 85-95kDa or hematopoietic variant (CD44-s). Higher molecular weight isoforms are described in epithelial cells (CD44-v), which are believed to function in intercellular adhesion and stromal binding. HCAM antibody immunostaining is commonly used for the discrimination of urothelial transitional cell carcinoma in-situ from non-neoplastic changes in the urothelium. Protein function: Cell-surface receptor that plays a role in cell-cell interactions, cell adhesion and migration, helping them to sense and respond to changes in the tissue microenvironment (PubMed:16541107, PubMed:19703720, PubMed:22726066). Participates thereby in a wide variety of cellular functions including the activation, recirculation and homing of T-lymphocytes, hematopoiesis, inflammation and response to bacterial infection (PubMed:7528188). Engages, through its ectodomain, extracellular matrix components such as hyaluronan/HA, collagen, growth factors, cytokines or proteases and serves as a platform for signal transduction by assembling, via its cytoplasmic domain, protein complexes containing receptor kinases and membrane proteases (PubMed:18757307, PubMed:23589287). Such effectors include PKN2, the RhoGTPases RAC1 and RHOA, Rho-kinases and phospholipase C that coordinate signaling pathways promoting calcium mobilization and actin-mediated cytoskeleton reorganization essential for cell migration and adhesion (PubMed:15123640). [The UniProt Consortium]