Rabbit Polyclonal MLH1 Antibody

The MLH1 antibody is a crucial tool in molecular pathology and cancer research, primarily targeting the MLH1 protein, a key component of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system. MLH1 plays a vital role in correcting DNA replication errors by forming complexes (e.g., MutLα with PMS2) to recognize and repair mismatched bases. Loss of MLH1 expression, detected via immunohistochemistry (IHC), is strongly associated with microsatellite instability (MSI), a hallmark of defective MMR. This deficiency is frequently observed in Lynch syndrome, an inherited cancer predisposition linked to colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers. Additionally, somatic MLH1 inactivation via promoter hypermethylation is common in sporadic MSI-high cancers. Clinically, MLH1 antibodies are used to screen tumors for MMR deficiency, guiding Lynch syndrome diagnosis and informing treatment decisions, such as immunotherapy responsiveness. In research, these antibodies help elucidate MMR mechanisms, gene regulation, and interactions with other repair proteins. However, MLH1 loss alone isn’t diagnostic for Lynch syndrome, as sporadic cases often involve epigenetic silencing rather than germline mutations. Thus, MLH1 antibody results are interpreted alongside genetic testing, methylation analyses, and clinical data to ensure accurate classification of MMR-deficient tumors.