Integrin alpha-E beta-7 (αEβ7) receptor (αEβ7)

Integrin alpha-E beta-7 (αEβ7) is a heterodimeric cell surface receptor predominantly expressed on intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) within mucosal tissues, particularly the gastrointestinal tract (UniProt P38570, P26010). It is composed of the alpha-E (CD103) and beta-7 subunits and functions by binding to E-cadherin expressed on epithelial cells, which facilitates the retention of T cells in the intestinal lining (PubMed: 24735126). In the context of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, αEβ7-mediated retention of proinflammatory lymphocytes contributes to chronic mucosal damage and inflammation (PubMed: 29438602). Therapeutic agents like etrolizumab target the beta-7 subunit to block both α4β7-mediated homing and αEβ7-mediated retention, offering a dual mechanism to reduce the accumulation of pathogenic immune cells in the gut (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01336465). Understanding the role of αEβ7 is critical for developing gut-selective therapies that minimize systemic immunosuppression while effectively treating chronic inflammatory conditions.

Other names

CD103/beta7HML-1 antigenMucosal lymphocyte antigen 1ITGAE/ITGB7Integrin alpha-E beta-7

Antagonist of the beta-7 subunit, which inhibits the binding of the alpha-E beta-7 integrin to E-cadherin, thereby preventing the retention of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the gut mucosa (PubMed: 24735126).