Keratin 18 pseudogene 8 (KRT18P8)

Keratin 18 pseudogene 8 (KRT18P8) is one of many processed pseudogenes derived from the KRT18 gene, which is clustered in the type I keratin gene region of the human genome. Pseudogenes like KRT18P8 are fragments of DNA that resemble known genes but do not produce functional proteins due to mutations or truncations. Unlike its parent gene KRT18, which is a marker for epithelial cells and involved in cell structural support and disease pathology, KRT18P8 has no known protein-coding role, biological activity, or direct therapeutic relevance. The human genome contains dozens of pseudogenes derived from keratin 8 and keratin 18, distributed across multiple chromosomes. These pseudogenes do not encode intact proteins and typically do not produce detectable RNA or protein products. The nomenclature (such as KRT18P8) follows a standardized system for cataloging keratin pseudogenes, but there is no evidence of KRT18P8 being expressed, functional, or implicated in disease as an active target. In summary, KRT18P8 should not be considered a drug target or functional gene but is a noncoding, inactive pseudogene related to the keratin 18 family.

Other names

KRT18P8keratin 18 pseudogene 8