Integrin alpha chain (ITGA)

Integrin alpha chains are a large family of transmembrane receptor proteins that form heterodimers with beta chains to create functional integrin receptors. These receptors mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion, and transmit signals bi-directionally across the plasma membrane, modulating key processes such as cell migration, proliferation, immune responses, and cytoskeletal arrangement. In humans, there are at least 18 known integrin alpha chains (ITGA1-ITGA11, ITGAD, ITGAE, ITGAL, ITGAM, ITGAV, ITGA2B, ITGAX), each conferring ligand-binding specificity and tissue distribution [1][2][3][4]. Integrin alpha chain family proteins are strongly implicated as drug targets, but therapeutic or pharmacological discussions must generally be conducted at the specific heterodimer (alpha-beta pair) level, as their function and disease relevance are highly context-specific [2][3].

Other names

Integrin α subunitITGA familyCD49 (for specific family members)VLA (very late antigen, for some members)LFA (for some members)GPIIb (for some members)

Inhibition of ligand binding (antagonism); Modulation of signaling pathways; Blockade of cell adhesion and migration