The glypican-6 (GPC6) antibody targets GPC6. a member of the glypican family of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Glypicans regulate cellular signaling by modulating interactions between growth factors, morphogens, and their receptors. GPC6 is notably expressed in developing bones, cartilage, and certain cancers, where it influences pathways like Wnt, Hedgehog, and FGF. Research links GPC6 to skeletal development, with mutations associated with skeletal dysplasia syndromes such as omodysplasia. In oncology, GPC6 is implicated in tumor progression and metastasis, particularly in osteosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and breast cancer, where its overexpression often correlates with poor prognosis.
GPC6 antibodies are essential tools for detecting GPC6 expression in tissues or cell lines via techniques like immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, or flow cytometry. They also facilitate functional studies to explore GPC6's role in disease mechanisms. Recent studies highlight GPC6's potential as a therapeutic target, with antibody-based strategies (e.g., antibody-drug conjugates or blocking antibodies) under investigation to disrupt oncogenic signaling or inhibit metastasis. However, the duality of GPC6’s role—acting as both a tumor suppressor and promoter in context-dependent manners—complicates its therapeutic exploitation. Ongoing research aims to clarify these mechanisms and validate GPC6's utility in diagnostics and precision medicine.