OnCo
targetsTarget

CD52

CD52 is a small protein on nearly all lymphocytes and the target of alemtuzumab, a profoundly immunosuppressive antibody once used in CLL and now mostly in transplant conditioning, T-cell leukaemia and multiple sclerosis.

Alemtuzumab (Campath, 2001 for fludarabine-refractory CLL; 2007 first line, CAM307) depletes B and T cells by CDC/ADCC. Its CLL indication was withdrawn commercially in 2012 when it was repositioned for MS (Lemtrada), but it remains available through a programme and is standard in T-prolymphocytic leukaemia (~90% response), in reduced-intensity and haploidentical transplant conditioning, and for GVHD prevention. CMV reactivation and prolonged lymphopenia limit it.

CD52: what it is and how drugs act on it · animated generic schematic, not to scale
  • Target · the protein and the cell it sits on
  • Drug · antibody, small molecule, cell or radioligand
  • Effect · signal, damage or kill

In plain words · CD52 is a small protein on nearly all lymphocytes and the target of alemtuzumab, a profoundly immunosuppressive antibody once used in CLL and now mostly in transplant conditioning, T-cell leukaemia and multiple sclerosis.

  1. 1 · What it is

    CD52 is a small protein on nearly all lymphocytes and the target of alemtuzumab, a profoundly immunosuppressive antibody once used in CLL and now mostly in transplant conditioning, T-cell leukaemia and multiple sclerosis.

  2. 2 · What goes wrong in cancer

    GPI-anchored 12-amino-acid glycopeptide of unknown function on lymphocytes, monocytes and the male reproductive tract; extremely high surface density makes it an efficient complement-fixing target.

  3. 3 · How drugs use it

    No product in this corpus aims at CD52 yet. Because it sits on the outside of the cell, it can be reached from the bloodstream: antibodies flag the cell, ADCs deliver a toxin, radioligands deliver radiation, and CAR-T or bispecifics bring a T cell.

Biology

GPI-anchored 12-amino-acid glycopeptide of unknown function on lymphocytes, monocytes and the male reproductive tract; extremely high surface density makes it an efficient complement-fixing target.

Where it is found
  • CLL, T-PLL, PTCL (near-universal)
  • Normal B and T lymphocytes, monocytes
Class
surface antigen · CD52

Latest papers

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Query for this target: (TITLE:"CD52" OR ABSTRACT:"CD52") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about CD52, not a curated reading list.

Connected

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