Keratin 8 pseudogene 40 (KRT8P40)

Keratin 8 pseudogene 40 (KRT8P40) is classified as a processed pseudogene, meaning it is a non-coding genomic sequence related to the functional keratin 8 gene (KRT8), but with inactivating mutations or disruptions that prevent protein expression[4]. KRT8P40 does not encode a functional protein, and there is no evidence it participates in biological processes or disease. The keratin family as a whole consists of intermediate filament proteins essential for the structural stability of epithelial cells, but pseudogenes like KRT8P40 are generally considered evolutionary remnants with no known function[3][4]. KRT8P40 is not included in major biomedical databases (e.g., UniProt, GeneCards) as a therapeutic or functional target and shows no relevance for drug discovery, diagnostics, or biomarker use[1][2][4]. If the intent was to refer to the protein-coding Keratin 8 gene (KRT8), that is a well-characterized structural protein with relevance to cell integrity and marker use in epithelial cancers, but KRT8P40 itself refers specifically to a non-functional pseudogene[1].