Semaphorin-3A (Sema3A)

Semaphorin-3A is a secreted glycoprotein originally identified as an axon guidance factor in the developing nervous system, essential for precise neuronal patterning by inducing repulsive or attractive cues that affect axon growth cones[2][3][6]. It features a multidomain structure including the conserved N-terminal Sema domain, followed by a plexin-semaphorin-integrin (PSI) domain and an Ig-like domain, and interacts with target cells via a receptor complex of Neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1) and Plexin-A[2]. Beyond neural development, Semaphorin-3A has significant roles in bone formation, immune response modulation, vascular patterning (as an angiogenesis inhibitor), and organogenesis[1][2][3][4][5]. Alterations in Sema3A function contribute to diseases in the nervous system, skeletal malformations, cancer progression, cardiovascular disorders, and immune dysregulation. While there are no established drugs specifically targeting Semaphorin-3A in clinical use, its molecular pathways remain of high interest for therapeutic modulation in multiple diseases[1][2][3][4].

Other names

Collapsin-1Sema3ASEMA3A

Modulation of axon guidance via receptor complexes (Neuropilin-1 and Plexin-A); Inhibition of angiogenesis; Regulation of bone homeostasis via effects on osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts; Modulation of immune cell signaling[1][2][3][4].