New Bioinformatic Insight into CD44: Classification of Human Variants and Structural Analysis of CD44 Targeting.

ABSTRACT: The cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) is a member of the hyaluronic acid (HA) receptor family of cell adhesion molecules. Besides HA, this transmembrane protein also serves as a receptor for other components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), including fibronectin, collagen, and osteopontin (OPN). The CD44-HA axis is involved in a wide range of physiological and cancer-related processes, particularly in cell adhesion and migration, lymphocyte activation, as well as tumour progression and metastasis. The possibility of modulating the CD44-HA interaction with a pharmacological inhibitor has therefore been recognized as an emerging anti-cancer strategy. With its expression in a wide variety, CD44 has also become the most common surface biomarker of cancer stem cells. Due to the rapid progr

SUBMITTER: Gerlicz WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12563948 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature