CD36 (Cluster of Differentiation 36) (CD36)

CD36 is an integral membrane glycoprotein found on the surface of many cell types including platelets, monocytes/macrophages, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and others. It serves as a multifunctional scavenger receptor that binds diverse ligands such as thrombospondin‑1 (TSP1), oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL), long-chain fatty acids, collagen, amyloid-beta peptides, and more. On platelets specifically—and relevant to its designation as the "thrombospondin‑1 receptor"—CD36 mediates adhesive interactions critical for platelet activation and stable thrombus formation through binding TSP1 released from α-granules during vascular injury. Beyond hemostasis/thrombosis roles via TSP1 binding, CD36 also participates in lipid metabolism by facilitating cellular uptake of long-chain fatty acids, modulates angiogenesis through antiangiogenic signaling when engaged by TSPs, influences immune responses via pathogen recognition/clearance, and has been implicated in various pathologies including cardiovascular diseases, cancer progression/metastasis, diabetes mellitus, neurodegeneration, inflammation, among others. Mutations or deficiencies in CD36 can lead to rare blood group phenotypes with clinical implications such as refractoriness to platelet transfusion. As a therapeutic target ("thrombospondin‑1 receptor"), interventions aim at modulating its role in thrombosis/platelet function or inhibiting pathological angiogenesis/cancer growth. “The protein encoded by this gene is the fourth major glycoprotein of the platelet surface and serves as a receptor for thrombospondin... This protein may have important functions as a cell adhesion molecule... Ligands can be of proteinaceous nature like thrombospondin... The resulting formation of CD36 clusters initiates signal transduction...” “Platelets abundantly express the membrane receptor CD36 and store its ligand thrombospondin‑1 ... These results demonstrate an anchoring role of platelet-released TSP1 via CD36 in platelet adhesion...”

Other names

Platelet glycoprotein 4Fatty acid translocase (FAT)Scavenger receptor class B member 3 (SCARB3)Glycoprotein IV (gpIV)Glycoprotein IIIb (gpIIIb)GP88CD36 antigen

Drugs or biologics targeting CD36 may: – Block ligand binding to inhibit platelet aggregation or thrombus stabilization. – Modulate fatty acid uptake/metabolism. – Inhibit angiogenesis by blocking TSP1-CD36 interaction. – Alter immune responses by affecting scavenger receptor signaling pathways.