Purified anti-GFAP Antibody, GFAP, MCA-5C10,BioLegend,801103

Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) is a major fibrous protein of multiple sclerosis plaques. It was subsequently found to be a member of the 10nm or intermediate filament protein family, specifically the intermediate filament protein family Class III, which also includes peripherin, desmin and vimentin. GFAP is strongly and specifically expressed in astrocytes and certain other astroglia in the central nervous system, in satellite cells in peripheral ganglia, and in non-myelinating Schwann cells in peripheral nerves. Astrocytes respond to many damage and disease states resulting in "astrogliosis" or the presence of a "glial response". GFAP antibodies are widely used to see the reactive astrocytes which form part of this response, since reactive astrocytes stain much more strongly with GFAP antibodies than normal astrocytes. GFAP also forms a major component of the so-called glial scar, an astrocyte rich structure apparently forming part of the barrier to nerve fiber regeneration following damage in the central nervous system. Neural stem cells frequently strongly express GFAP. Antibodies to GFAP are therefore very useful as markers of normal and reactive astrocytic cells and neural stem cells. This antibody was raised against a preparation of purified pig spinal core GFAP.