Cadherin-20 (CDH20)

Cadherin-20 is a type II classical cadherin belonging to the cadherin superfamily, uniquely characterized by the lack of a HAV cell adhesion recognition sequence seen in type I cadherins[5][3]. It is a calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion glycoprotein featuring five extracellular cadherin repeats, a transmembrane region, and a conserved cytoplasmic tail. CDH20 is developmentally regulated; during embryogenesis, it is detected in the developing central nervous system, including regions such as the forebrain and neural crest[3]. CDH20 acts as a tumor suppressor, being downregulated in cervical cancer and other cancers where it inhibits cell migration and invasion, partly by interacting with β-catenin and modulating the TGF-β/Smad/Snail signaling pathway to suppress EMT[1]. CDH20 may be a candidate biomarker for prognosis and as a potential molecular target in oncology.

Other names

Cdh7CDH7L3CAD20_HUMANCadherin 20, type 2

Not applicable, as no therapeutic drugs are currently reported to target CDH20 directly