Prominin 1 (CD133) is expressed on primitive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, retinoblastoma, hemangioblasts, and neural stem cells as well as on developing epithelium. The CD133 positive fraction of human bone marrow, cord blood and peripheral blood have been shown to efficiently engraft in xenotransplantation models, and have been shown to contain the majority of the granulocyte/macrophage precursors, NOD/SCID repopulating cells and CD34 + dendritic cell precursors.

CD133 antibodies are useful tools for cancer studies and certian stem cell research.