HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
Β© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
β“˜GeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
KRT6B
keratin 6B
Chromosome 12 Β· 12q13.13
NCBI Gene: 3854Ensembl: ENSG00000185479.6HGNC: HGNC:6444UniProt: P04259
108PubMed Papers
21Diseases
0Drugs
5Pathogenic Variants
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingextracellular exosomekeratinizationstructural constituent of skin epidermispachyonychia congenita 4pachyonychia congenitagenetic disorderfacial nerve disease
✦AI Summary

KRT6B (keratin 6B) is a structural intermediate filament protein that functions as a key component of the epidermis and cytoskeleton 1. As a wound-activated protein, KRT6B is significantly upregulated during skin epithelialization and keratinocyte proliferation, with eIF6 negatively regulating this process 1. Beyond its canonical role in keratinization and skin development, KRT6B has emerged as a multifunctional oncogenic mediator across multiple cancer types. In lung adenocarcinoma, KRT6B functions as a central hub gene within an immune-related prognostic signature, with overexpression promoting tumor growth in vitro and in vivo 2. In bladder cancer, KRT6B is encapsulated in tumor-derived exosomes and promotes invasion and metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) while simultaneously regulating the immune microenvironment 3. KRT6B expression correlates with advanced disease stage, grade, and metastatic status in bladder cancer 3. In hepatocellular carcinoma, KRT6B mediates Notch1 signaling to promote cell proliferation and suppress apoptosis 4. Additionally, KRT6B is upregulated in metastatic urothelial carcinoma and correlates with worse clinical outcomes and higher tumor grade 5. KRT6B's pathogenic role is further supported by its involvement in pterygium and meibomian gland dysfunction through keratinization pathways 6, and by evidence that PDE3B-mediated KRT6B downregulation enhances therapeutic sensitivity in bladder cancer 7. These findings establish KRT6B as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target across multiple malignancies.

Sources cited
1
KRT6B is a central hub gene in a 12-gene immune-related prognostic signature for lung adenocarcinoma with tumor-promoting functions in vitro and in vivo
PMID: 41822495
2
Bladder cancer-derived exosomal KRT6B promotes invasion and metastasis through EMT and immune microenvironment regulation; elevated KRT6B correlates with cancer stage, grade, and metastasis
PMID: 35794606
3
KRT6B is a wound-activated protein upregulated during skin epithelialization and keratinocyte proliferation; eIF6 downregulation accelerates wound healing by upregulating KRT6B
PMID: 39406496
4
PDE3B regulates KRT6B expression; PDE3B-mediated KRT6B downregulation reduces bladder cancer invasion/migration and increases sensitivity to copper ionophores
PMID: 38165426
5
KRT6B is part of a shared gene signature between pterygium and meibomian gland dysfunction, enriched in keratinization pathways
PMID: 31373692
6
KRT6B is identified in a ten-gene EBV reactivation signature associated with poor prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, involved in EMT pathways
PMID: 40457434
7
KRT6B mediates Notch1 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma; KRT6B overexpression promotes cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis effects
PMID: 26629239
8
KRT6B is consistently upregulated in metastatic bladder cancer tumors and correlates with tumor grade and worse clinical outcomes
PMID: 31092844
Disease Associationsβ“˜21
pachyonychia congenita 4Open Targets
0.63Moderate
pachyonychia congenitaOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
genetic disorderOpen Targets
0.19Weak
facial nerve diseaseOpen Targets
0.16Weak
diabetic nephropathyOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
bladder transitional cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
breast carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
palmoplantar keratoderma-esophageal carcinoma syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
dental cariesOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
diffuse large B-cell lymphomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
meningiomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
actinic keratosisOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pachyonychia congenita 4UniProt
Pathogenic Variants5
NM_005555.4(KRT6B):c.1414G>A (p.Glu472Lys)Pathogenic
Pachyonychia congenita 4|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 472
NM_005555.4(KRT6B):c.510CAA[2] (p.Asn172del)Pathogenic
not provided|Pachyonychia congenita 4
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 172
NM_005555.4(KRT6B):c.1381G>A (p.Glu461Lys)Pathogenic
not provided|Pachyonychia congenita 4
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2021β†’ Residue 461
NM_005555.4(KRT6B):c.533T>A (p.Ile178Asn)Likely pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2016β†’ Residue 178
NM_005555.4(KRT6B):c.1406T>G (p.Leu469Arg)Pathogenic
Pachyonychia congenita 4
β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†2020β†’ Residue 469
View on ClinVar β†—
Related Genes
KRT16Protein interaction87%DSG3Protein interaction84%KRT5Protein interaction84%KRT6AProtein interaction84%KRT14Protein interaction84%KRT17Protein interaction81%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Ovary
55%
Bone Marrow
41%
Lung
36%
Brain
14%
Heart
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KRT6BKRT16DSG3KRT5KRT6AKRT14KRT17
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted Β· UniProt P04259
View on AlphaFold β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
0.91LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.67 [0.49–0.91]
RankingsWhere KRT6B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #4,407of 20,598
    Most Researched108 Β· top quartile
  • #3,522of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants5
  • #8,275of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.91
Genes detectedKRT6B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
A 12-gene immune signature predicts prognosis and identifies KRT6B as a therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma.
PMID: 41822495
Front Immunol Β· 2026
1.00
2
Bladder cancer-derived exosomal KRT6B promotes invasion and metastasis by inducing EMT and regulating the immune microenvironment.
PMID: 35794606
J Transl Med Β· 2022
0.90
3
eIF6 modulates skin wound healing by upregulating keratin 6B.
PMID: 39406496
Stem Cells Transl Med Β· 2024
0.80
4
PDE3B regulates KRT6B and increases the sensitivity of bladder cancer cells to copper ionophores.
PMID: 38165426
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol Β· 2024
0.70
5
Shared gene signature between pterygium and meibomian gland dysfunction uncovered through gene-expression meta-analysis.
PMID: 31373692
Ann Hum Genet Β· 2019
0.60