Nestin

By Jennifer Sokolowski, MD, PhD.

Clinical depression (also known as major depressive disorder or MDD) affects many people, but the biological processes that cause it (and are influenced by its treatments) are not well understood. Adult neurogenesis is a newly emerging field that could contribute to our knowledge of the etiology of depression and the effects of antidepressants. Nestin antibodies are key tools for this research, as they can be used to identify developing neurons.

Nestin is a large class Vl intermediate filament protein predominantly expressed in the neuroepithelial stem cells of the embryonic central nervous system, although recent nestin antibody studies have shown it expressed in other cell types, including vascular endothelial cells. The first monoclonal nestin antibody was developed by Hockfield and McKay in 1985.