Interleukin-13 receptor subunit alpha-2 mRNA (IL13RA2 mRNA)

Interleukin-13 receptor subunit alpha-2 (IL13RA2) mRNA is the transcript encoding a high-affinity receptor for the cytokine IL-13. While the IL13RA2 protein is primarily known as a decoy receptor that sequesters IL-13, the mRNA itself is a critical focal point for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. It is significantly overexpressed in various malignancies, particularly glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), where its levels serve as a robust prognostic biomarker for poor patient outcomes. In the therapeutic context, IL13RA2 mRNA is targeted by RNA interference strategies (siRNA) to downregulate the oncogenic signaling of its protein product, and it is also utilized in mRNA-based cancer vaccines to prime the immune system against tumor cells. Although most clinical-stage drugs like CAR-T cells and immunotoxins target the cell-surface protein, the mRNA remains a vital target for emerging nucleic acid-based modalities and precision medicine diagnostics. The differential expression of IL13RA2 in tumor versus normal brain tissue provides a wide therapeutic window for these interventions.

Other names

IL13RA2 transcriptCD213A2 mRNAInterleukin-13 binding protein mRNAInterleukin-13 receptor alpha-2 mRNA

RNA interference (siRNA) leading to sequence-specific mRNA degradation and reduced protein expression; mRNA-based vaccination for antigen presentation to stimulate T-cell responses; CAR-T and immunotoxins targeting the translated protein product on the cell surface.