Serpin B8

Serpin B8, historically called proteinase inhibitor 8 (PI-8), is an intracellular clade B serpin located in the SERPINB cluster on chromosome 18. It shows a tissue-restricted expression pattern, with the highest levels in lymphoid organs such as thymus, lymph node and spleen, as well as in dendritic cells and macrophages. Functional studies suggest that Serpin B8 protects immune cells from apoptotic protease activity during lymphocyte turnover, and altered expression has been reported in leukemia and lymphoma. Its specific target protease has not been definitively identified, so recombinant Serpin B8 is mainly used to probe intracellular protease regulation in hematopoietic and immune contexts.