Keratins in Health and Cancer: More Than Mere Epithelial Cell Markers

Keratins, the intermediate filament-forming proteins of epithelial cells, have expanded to 54 types and play crucial roles in cellular protection against stress. Beyond structural support, keratins regulate cellular properties such as polarization, motility, and protein synthesis. In cancer, keratins serve as diagnostic markers due to their maintained patterns in malignancies and have prognostic significance. Studies have shown keratins' active involvement in cancer cell invasion, metastasis, and treatment response, highlighting their potential as multifunctional regulators in epithelial tumorigenesis.