Soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) (sFasL)

Soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) is the circulating form of the Fas ligand (FasL), a type II transmembrane protein and member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily [4, 10]. It is produced through the proteolytic cleavage of membrane-bound FasL by matrix metalloproteinases, such as MMP-7 or ADAM10 [4, 5]. While the membrane-bound form is a potent inducer of apoptosis through its receptor Fas (CD95), the soluble form is generally less cytotoxic and can act as a competitive inhibitor or a modulator of immune signaling [4, 9, 12]. Elevated levels of sFasL are found in various diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and severe drug reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome [3, 5, 8]. In the context of cancer, sFasL can facilitate immune evasion by inducing the death of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes [3, 6]. Therapeutic agents, such as the monoclonal antibody PC111 and the decoy receptor Asunercept, are designed to selectively target sFasL to mitigate tissue damage and restore immune homeostasis [3, 5, 7].

Other names

CD95 ligandCD95-LCD178Tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 6Apo-1 ligandFASLGTNFSF6APT1LG1ALPS1B

Neutralization of soluble Fas ligand to prevent binding to the Fas receptor (CD95), thereby inhibiting inappropriate apoptosis or modulating immune responses.