Keratin 8 pseudogene 2 (KRT8P2)

Keratin 8 pseudogene 2 is a pseudogene in the human genome related to the keratin 8 (KRT8) gene family. Unlike functional keratin genes that encode intermediate filament proteins essential for epithelial cell structure and function[1][2][3][4], this pseudogene does not encode a functional protein and is not known to have any biological or clinical relevance. Pseudogenes like KRT8P2 can arise through gene duplication or retrotransposition events but lack protein-coding capacity due to mutations or truncations. As such, KRT8P2 is not considered a drug target, receptor, or functional gene, and there is no evidence linking it directly to human disease or therapeutic intervention.\n\nKey clarification: The confusion may arise because the active gene Keratin 8 (KRT8) is a well-studied cytoskeletal protein involved in epithelial cell structure, certain cancers, and other diseases[1][3]. However, *KRT8P2* specifically denotes a pseudogene; it is not functionally equivalent to KRT8 and should not be confused with the canonical gene or its protein product.

Other names

OTTHUMG00000135122