Hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 (KIM-1) (KIM-1)

Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1), also known as Hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1 (HAVCR1), is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein that is virtually undetectable in healthy kidney tissue but becomes highly upregulated in the proximal tubule following injury [2, 11, 13]. It is also significantly overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), particularly in clear cell and papillary subtypes, making it a specific marker for these malignancies [4, 5, 12]. Biologically, KIM-1 functions as a phosphatidylserine receptor that facilitates the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and debris, a process known as efferocytosis, and also serves as a co-stimulatory molecule in T-cell activation [2, 3, 6, 11]. In clinical practice, KIM-1 is widely recognized as a sensitive biomarker for acute kidney injury and a prognostic indicator for RCC recurrence and survival [5, 11, 14, 18]. As a therapeutic target, KIM-1 is being exploited through the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) such as CDX-014 [1, 4, 12]. These agents leverage the receptor's ability to internalize upon antibody binding to deliver potent cytotoxic payloads directly into tumor cells, thereby minimizing systemic toxicity while maximizing anti-tumor efficacy [4, 10, 12].

Other names

T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-1TIM-1HAVCR1CD365Kidney injury molecule 1HAVCRTIMD1

Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) mediated delivery of cytotoxic payloads (e.g., monomethyl auristatin E or maytansinoid DM1) to KIM-1 expressing cells, leading to internalization and intracellular release of the toxin.