PSMB8. also known as β5i or LMP7. is a critical subunit of the immunoproteasome, a specialized proteasome complex involved in generating antigenic peptides for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation. Unlike the standard proteasome, the immunoproteasome is predominantly expressed in immune cells and is induced by cytokines like interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) during inflammation or infection. PSMB8 plays a key role in cleaving proteins into peptides that are loaded onto MHC class I molecules, enabling immune recognition of infected or malignant cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
Antibodies targeting PSMB8 are essential tools for studying immunoproteasome function and its implications in autoimmune diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. For instance, PSMB8 dysfunction has been linked to autoinflammatory syndromes such as chronic atypical neutrophilic dermatosis with lipodystrophy and elevated temperature (CANDLE) syndrome, driven by mutations in the PSMB8 gene. These antibodies are widely used in techniques like Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to assess immunoproteasome expression, localization, and activity in research or clinical samples.
Additionally, PSMB8 inhibitors are under investigation as therapeutic agents to modulate immune responses, highlighting the antibody’s role in both basic research and drug development. Understanding PSMB8 dynamics via antibody-based assays contributes to unraveling disease mechanisms and advancing targeted therapies.