Cadherin 17 also known as LI-Cadherin, is part
of the cadherin superfamily and is a calciumdependent,
membrane-associated glycoprotein.
Cadherins are responsible for mediating cell-cell
adhesion and are important for the structural integrity
of epithelia. Cadherin 17 consists of an extracellular
region containing 7 cadherin domains,
and a transmembrane region but lacking the
conserved cytoplasmic domain. It is a component
of the gastrointestinal tract and pancreatic ducts,
acting as an intestinal proton-dependent peptide
transporter in the first step in oral absorption of
many medically important peptide-based drugs.
It may play a role in the morphological organization
of liver and intestine.
In normal tissues, the Cadherin 17 antibody labels
epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal tract and
pancreatic duct, but not in kidney, liver and other
tissues. In tumors, Cadherin 17 is expressed on
adenocarcinoma of the digestive system, including
liver cancer. It is a sensitve marker for the
identification of gastric intestinal metaplasia and
well differentiated adenocarcinomas.