Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

Tumor markers include carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), blood Golgi protein (GP73), glycoconjugate antigen 242 (CA242), and glycoconjugate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is one of the earliest discovered and best known biomarkers, an acidic glycoprotein with human embryonic antigenic properties, and a cell surface adhesion molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily (lg-SF). It contains 702 amino acids and has a molecular weight of about 150 kDa. CEA is synthesized in the cytoplasm, secreted across the cell membrane and then enters the body's bloodstream as a broad-spectrum tumor marker that can be detected in body fluids and excretions.

KMD Bioscience, as a supplier of in vitro diagnostic raw materials, provides the IVD industry with high-quality diagnostic antigens and antibody raw materials for flow, colloidal gold, chemiluminescence, immunoturbidimetric, and other assay platforms for over several years. With four platforms, including monoclonal antibody production platform, polyclonal antibody production platform, phage antibody library technology platform, and antibody sequencing and application platform, KMD Bioscience is committed to the rapid development and large-scale production of proteins and antibodies for in vitro diagnostics. KMD Bioscience's antibody diagnostic raw materials and antigen diagnostic raw materials are strictly monitored during the R&D and production phases, and the performance indexes (specificity, activity, stability, etc.) of antibodies/antigens are analyzed to ensure that IVD raw materials are characterized by small batch-to-batch/intra-batch variations, wide linear ranges, good stability, high sensitivity, and so on. KMD Bioscience can create tailor-made one-stop solutions according to the needs and application scenarios of corporate customers, fully supporting the development of in vitro diagnostic reagent products.

Molecular structure of CEA

The human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family is encoded by 18 genes and 11 pseudogenes located on chromosome 19, q13.2. The 18 genes are classified into two groups, carcinoembryonic antigen-associated adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) and pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSGs) based on the homology of the proteins and their expression forms; the other 11 pseudogenes are not expressed. All CEACAMs are attached to cell membranes, whereas PSGs are expressed in placental tissues and subsequently secreted into the bloodstream; PSGs are present throughout pregnancy.CEACAMs belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily of adhesion molecules, with a 108 amino acid structural domain of the immunoglobulin variable region (lgv) and a 0-6 immunoglobulin constant region (lgC). As an intercellular adhesion molecule, CEACAMS can accelerate the binding of normal cells to tumor cells and play an important role in tumor metastasis.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the molecular structure of CEACAMs

Biological functions of CEA

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has the function of inhibiting cell loss apoptosis, inhibiting cell differentiation, and preventing cell polarization. It plays an important role in cell adhesion, intracellular signaling and tumor progression. Loss-of-nest apoptosis is a specific programmed cell death process that occurs when cells lose contact with the extracellular matrix and other cells, and it plays an important role in the development of the organism, tissue homeostasis, disease and tumor metastasis, etc. CEA is structurally anchored to lipid rafts of cell membranes through the structure of glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol (GPI) and interacts with integrin receptor αα. CEA binds to the integrin receptor α5β1, which binds to the ligand fibronectin (FN) to position the cytoskeleton in adhesion sites. When CEA is overexpressed, CEA-GPI-anchored lipid rafts aggregate, leading to aggregation and activation of α5 integrins, followed by activation of the P13K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, and survival signaling from the extracellular to the intracellular, and CEA exerts a nest loss apoptosis (Anoikis) inhibitory function. Tumor cells can survive and proliferate out of the monolayer in the absence of cell basement membrane adhesion. In addition, Anoikis inhibition also inhibits cell differentiation, which leads to further cancer progression.

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