CD133 is a novel 5-transmembrane cell surface antigen with a molecular weight of 117 kDa. CD133/2 (293C3) antibodies recognize epitope 2 of the human CD133 antigen (CD133/2). In the hematopoietic system, CD133 expression is restricted to a subset of CD34
bright
stem and progenitor cells in human fetal liver, bone marrow, cord blood, and peripheral blood. Additionally, CD133 is expressed by a small portion of CD34
–
cells in these tissues. The CD34
+
CD133
+
cell population, which includes CD34
+
CD38
–
cells, was shown to be capable of repopulating NOD/SCID mice. Recently, CD133 has also been found to be expressed on circulating endothelial progenitor cells, tissue-specific stem cells, cancer stem cells from tumor tissues, fetal neural stem cells, and ES and iPS cell–derived cells as well as on other tissue-specific stem cells, such as renal, prostate, and corneal stem cells. The putative murine homologue, prominin, which is expressed on neuroepithelial and epithelial mouse cells, was dentified.
CD133 is a novel 5-transmembrane cell surface antigen with a molecular weight of 117 kDa. CD133/2 (293C3) antibodies recognize epitope 2 of the human CD133 antigen (CD133/2). In the hematopoietic system, CD133 expression is restricted to a subset of CD34
bright
stem and progenitor cells in human fetal liver, bone marrow, cord blood, and peripheral blood. Additionally, CD133 is expressed by a small portion of CD34
–
cells in these tissues. The CD34
+
CD133
+
cell population, which includes CD34
+
CD38
–
cells, was shown to be capable of repopulating NOD/SCID mice. Recently, CD133 has also been found to be expressed on circulating endothelial progenitor cells, tissue-specific stem cells, cancer stem cells from tumor tissues, fetal neural stem cells, and ES and iPS cell–derived cells as well as on other tissue-specific stem cells, such as renal, prostate, and corneal stem cells. The putative murine homologue, prominin, which is expressed on neuroepithelial and epithelial mouse cells, was dentified.