Cancer has been considered to be a disease of stem cells, and proteins normally restricted to stem cells may reappear during disease processes.

HID-5 (S100A7/Psoriasin), was first described in 1991 as a protein expressed in psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disorder, but not in the normal adjacent skin. In 2001, HID-5 was found to be up-regulated in a subset of breast ductal carcinomas (DCIS) and other cancers, particularly those with inflammatory infiltration. It wasn't until 2005, however, that HID-5 was found to be involved in epithelial stem cell differentiation, thus suggesting a link between inflammatory processes, tumorigenesis, and stem cell differentiation.

While more research is necessary, it is interesting to note the similarities that exist between psoriasis and DCIS. For example, both involve abnormal epithelial stem cell differentiation and inflammatory reactions including lymphocyte infiltration. Although a link between inflammation and cancer has long been suspected, the importance and urgency of elucidating the role of inflammation in disease processes is rapidly gaining momentum.

IMGENEX is dedicated to the development of tools to facilitate research study and are actively pursuing the development and validation of novel reagents for cancer research, inflammation, and stem cell research.