The W6B3C1 monoclonal antibody specifically recognizes CD133 which is also known as Prominin-like protein 1 (PROML1), Prominin-1 (PROM1), hProminin, Hematopoietic stem cell antigen, Macular dystrophy retinal 2 (MCDR2), Stargardt disease 4 autosomal dominant (STGD4), or AC133 antigen. CD133 is an ~120 kDa five-transmembrane, glycoprotein that is encoded by PROM1 (Prominin 1) which belongs to the Prominin gene family. This single-chain, pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein is comprised of an extracellular N-terminus with two short intracellular sequences and two long extracellular loops followed by an intracellular C-terminus. CD133 is expressed on some cells found in a variety of tissues including the bone marrow, cord and peripheral blood, placenta, liver, pancreas, kidney, lung, retina, brain and heart. It is expressed on various cell types including hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, neural stem cells, developing epithelial cells, precursor endothelial cells, and retinal cells. CD133 is expressed on some cancer cells found in leukemias, melanoma and retinoblastoma. It may serve as a cancer stem cell marker in a number of brain tumors, melanoma, colon cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and prostate cancer. A mutation in PROM1 is reportedly associated with a form of human retinal degeneration. The W6B3C1 antibody recognizes a different epitope than the human CD133-specific 293C3 antibody.