Description
CD20 is a non-glycosylated phosphoprotein that is expressed on the surface of normal and malignant B cells and functions in mediating calcium transport and B cell differentiation (1,2). CD20 is encoded by the membrane-spanning 4-domain family A member 1 (MS4A1) gene and, in humans, is located on chromosome 11q12 (1). The CD20 protein is 297 amino acids (aa) in length with a theoretical molecular weight (MW) of 33 kDa (1,2). Structurally, the CD20 protein has four membrane-spanning domains, two extracellular loop domains, and intracellular N- and C-terminal domains (1,2). CD20 is expressed at specific stages of B cell maturation including pre-B cells, mature naive and activated B cells, and memory B cells, but is absent from plasmablasts and plasma cells (1,3,4). Expression of CD20 is often increased on malignant B cells associated with various B cell disorders such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis (2-4). Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapies have become an appealing target for treating these immune-related disorders and cancers (1-5). Rituximab, a chimeric mAb, was the first FDA approved CD20 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is now commonly used to treat MS (2,3). Since its initial approval in 1997, several other chimeric and humanized anti-CD20 mAbs have been developed including Ofatumumab, Ublituximab, and Obinutuzumab (1-5). B cell depletion via CD20 mAbs can occur under different mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and direct induction of apoptosis (1-4). Many ongoing studies are focused on combination therapies with CD20 mAbs as an addition to chemotherapy, B cell receptor (BCR) signaling inhibitors, or BH3 mimetics (1,2,4). Additionally, the effects of bispecific antibodies and CD20 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies are under investigation for the treatment of B cell malignancies (4,5).
References
1. Pavlasova G, Mraz M. The regulation and function of CD20: an "enigma" of B-cell biology and targeted therapy. Haematologica. 2020; 105(6):1494-1506. https://doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2019.243543
2. Payandeh Z, Bahrami AA, Hoseinpoor R, et al. The applications of anti-CD20 antibodies to treat various B cells disorders. Biomed Pharmacother. 2019; 109:2415-2426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.11.121
3. Margoni M, Preziosa P, Filippi M, Rocca MA. Anti-CD20 therapies for multiple sclerosis: current status and future perspectives. J Neurol. 2022; 269(3):1316-1334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-021-10744-x
4. Klein C, Jamois C, Nielsen T. Anti-CD20 treatment for B-cell malignancies: current status and future directions. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2021; 21(2):161-181. https://doi.org/10.1080/14712598.2020.1822318
5. Sharman JP. Targeting CD20: teaching an old dog new tricks. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2019; 2019(1):273-278. https://doi.org/10.1182/hematology.2019000031
Bioinformatics
Entrez |
Mouse Human Rat Human |
Uniprot |
Human Human Human Human Human |
Product By Gene ID |
931 |
Alternate Names |
- B1
- B-lymphocyte antigen CD20
- B-lymphocyte cell-surface antigen B1
- B-lymphocyte surface antigen B1
- Bp35MGC3969
- CD20 antigen
- CD20 receptor
- CD20S7
- CVID5
- LEU-16
- Leukocyte surface antigen Leu-16
- Membrane-spanning 4-domains subfamily A member 1
- membrane-spanning 4-domains, subfamily A, member 1
- MS4A2
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