Keratin 17 in Disease Pathogenesis: From Cancer to Dermatoses

The review discussed the role of Keratin 17 (K17) in various diseases, including psoriasis and several cancers such as breast, cervical, oral squamous, and gastric carcinomas. K17, a type I intermediate filament, was found to regulate numerous biological processes like cell proliferation, skin inflammation, and hair follicle cycling. The overexpression of K17 was linked to diseases like steatocystoma multiplex and pachyonychia congenita due to genetic mutations in KRT17. The review highlighted that proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17, IL-22, IFN-γ, TGF-β) and transcription factors (Gli1/2, Nrf2, p53) could regulate K17 through transcriptional and translational control, while post-translational modifications like phosphorylation and ubiquitination affected K17 stability and function. The potential for anti-K17 therapy in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of these diseases was also explored.