Keratins: Biomarkers and modulators of apoptotic and necrotic cell death in the liver
Nam‐On Ku, Pavel Strnad, Heike Bantel, M. Bishr Omary – 8 February 2016 – Keratins, formerly known as cytokeratins, are the major epithelial‐specific subgroup of intermediate filament proteins. Adult hepatocytes express keratin polypeptides 8 and 18 (K8/K18), whereas cholangiocytes express K8/K18 and keratins 7 and 19 (K7/K19). Keratins function primarily to protect hepatocytes from apoptosis and necrosis, which was revealed using several genetic mouse models.