Caveolin 1 is an integral plasma membrane protein belonging to the Caveoline family. Caveolines are the most common proteins of the caveolae, small indentations of the plasma membrane on the surface of different cell types to regulate molecular processes, such as signal transduction or cell adhesion. The highest expression of caveolin 1 is found in fibroblasts, endothelial cells, type I pneumocytes, epithelial cells and adipocytes.
The antibody caveolin 1 may be useful in the differential diagnosis of epithelioid mesotheliomas from lung adenocarcinomas, especially when incorporated into an antibody panel. While antibodies such as calretinin, podoplanin, Wilms tumor, thrombomodulin and mesothelin are known markers of mesothelioma, the utility of these antibodies is limited due to their low specificity. Caveolin 1 showed high sensitivity and specificity in the differentiation of epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma.

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