EMA

Epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) is a high molecular weight transmembrane glycoprotein widely present in various epithelial tissues, involved in life activities such as cell adhesion, barrier protection, and immune regulation. Some research suggested that EMA is expressed in epithelial tumors such as lung cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, and it is negative in basal cell carcinoma and neuroendocrine neoplasm, which makes it useful for assisting in identification. Moreover, the high expression of EMA is associated with the malignant development of tumors, which may be because EMA can promote tumor metastasis by regulating the proliferation and migration of cancer cells, and inhibit tumor immune response by binding to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 of T cells. But some scholars pointed out that the expression level of EMA is positively correlated with the differentiation degree of colorectal cancer. In addition, EMA positive granules have been found in some glioblastomas, and the patients have shorter survival time and poorer prognosis.