Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1) (ICAM-1)

Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1), also known as CD54, is a cell surface glycoprotein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily that plays a pivotal role in cell-to-cell adhesion and immune signaling [UniProt]. In the context of Neural-Induced human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (NI-hMSCs), ICAM-1 serves as a critical mediator of their immunomodulatory function by binding to Lymphocyte Function-associated Antigen 1 (LFA-1) on the surface of hematopoietic and immune cells, such as T lymphocytes [Ren et al., 2008]. This binding interaction facilitates stable contact between the MSCs and immune cells, which is essential for the MSCs to exert their suppressive effects through the secretion of soluble factors like indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), or through direct signaling pathways [Frontiers in Immunology, 2021]. This mechanism is particularly relevant in treating inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and neurological disorders, where NI-hMSCs are employed to dampen excessive immune responses [Jang et al., 2015]. Therapeutic strategies often focus on enhancing ICAM-1 expression on MSCs to improve their homing and immunosuppressive efficacy, while drugs like lifitegrast target the ICAM-1/LFA-1 axis to treat inflammatory conditions like dry eye disease [PubMed].

Other names

CD54ICAM1Intercellular Adhesion Glycoprotein 1Major Group Rhinovirus ReceptorBB2P3.58

ICAM-1 on NI-hMSCs binds to LFA-1 on immune cells to facilitate cell-to-cell contact, which is required for the MSCs to deliver immunosuppressive signals and factors that inhibit T-cell activation and proliferation.