Persistent CD49d engagement in circulating CLL cells: a role for blood-borne ligands?

Benedetti, D; Tissino, E; Caldana, C; Dal Bo, M; Bomben, R; Marconi, D; Ganghammer, S; Zaja, F; Pozzato, Gabriele; Di Raimondo, F; Hartmann, T. N; Del Poeta, G; Vanmeter, A; Zucchetto, A; Espina, V; Liotta, L; Gattei, V.

doi:10.1038/leu.2015.149

CD49d, the α-chain of the integrin heterodimer α4β1 (CD49d/CD29) is expressed on cell surface of ~40% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases. It mediates both cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesion through binding to the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and fibronectin (FN), respectively. These interactions regulate CLL cell recirculation from the blood stream to tissue sites, as well as the transmission to CLL cells of signals of pro-survival and resistance to drug-induced apoptosis.1 Consistent with this functional role in CLL, a recent worldwide meta-analysis carried out on a large patient cohort, definitely demonstrated the independent prognostic relevance of CD49d in this disease

Persistent CD49d engagement in circulating CLL cells: a role for blood-borne ligands? / Benedetti, D., Tissino, E., Caldana, C., Dal Bo, M., Bomben, R., Marconi, D., Ganghammer, S., Zaja, F., Pozzato, G., Di Raimondo, F., Hartmann, T.N., Del Poeta, G., Vanmeter, A., Zucchetto, A., Espina, V., Liotta, L., Gattei, V.. - In: LEUKEMIA. - ISSN 0887-6924. - STAMPA. - 30:(2016), pp. 513-517. [10.1038/leu.2015.149]