Biological Significance | Nestin is a Class IV intermediate filament protein abundantly produced in the developing central nervous system (CNS) and in early embryonic neuroepithelial stem cells. This cytoskeletal protein has been widely used as a predominant marker for stem/progenitor cells, glioma cells, and tumor endothelial cells. Also, it is a superior angiogenic marker to evaluate neovascularity of endothelial cells in tumors. These highly specific antibodies to human nestin can aid in characterizing progenitor cells differentiating into distinct lineages, in enhancing the therapeutic potential of human neural stem/progenitor cells in the treatment of CNS diseases or injury, and in identifying neuroepithelial tumor cells. |
