Cluster of Differentiation 20 Antigen (CD20)

CD20 is a non-glycosylated, tetraspan transmembrane protein expressed on B lymphocytes from the pre-B cell stage through mature B cells. It acts as a B-cell activation receptor involved in development and differentiation by modulating intracellular calcium signaling and is required for efficient signaling through the B-cell receptor (BCR). CD20 is a target for monoclonal antibody therapies like rituximab, which induce direct cytotoxicity via multiple mechanisms, and is widely used in treating various lymphomas, leukemias, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and other disorders involving pathological or excessive activity/expansion of B-cells.

Other names

MS4A1Membrane-Spanning 4-Domains Subfamily A Member 1

Direct cytotoxicity via multiple mechanisms: - Direct induction of apoptosis/cell death upon cross-linking - Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) - Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity/phagocytosis via Fcγ receptors on effector immune cells