Integrin alpha E (CD103)

Integrin alpha E (CD103) is a type I transmembrane protein that forms a heterodimer with the integrin beta 7 subunit (nih.gov). It is primarily expressed on intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells, and specific subsets of dendritic cells, particularly in mucosal tissues such as the gut, lungs, and skin (mdpi.com). Its primary biological function is to mediate cell adhesion and the retention of lymphocytes within epithelial tissues by binding to its ligand, E-cadherin (nih.gov). In oncology, CD103 is a critical marker for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), where its presence often correlates with improved prognosis and better responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (nih.gov). In inflammatory diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, CD103-mediated retention of pathogenic T cells contributes to chronic inflammation, making it a target for therapeutic intervention (oup.com). Drugs like etrolizumab target the beta 7 subunit to block both alpha 4 beta 7 and alpha E beta 7 (CD103) interactions, aiming to reduce leukocyte infiltration and retention in the intestinal mucosa (mdpi.com). Additionally, novel cell therapies like AGX-148 utilize CD103 as a biomarker to select for tumor-reactive T cells (agonox.com).

Other names

ITGAEHML-1Integrin alpha-EMucosal lymphocyte 1 antigenCD103 antigenIntegrin subunit alpha E

Inhibition of lymphocyte homing and retention in mucosal tissues by blocking the interaction between the alpha E beta 7 integrin and E-cadherin (mdpi.com).