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Updated: Oct 24, 2025

Nanopodia - Thin, Fragile Membrane Projections with Roles in Cell Movement and Intercellular Interactions
Published on: April 3, 2014
The tetraspan MS4A family in homeostasis, immunity, and disease
Irene Mattiola1, Alberto Mantovani2, Massimo Locati3
1Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy; Laboratory of Innate Immunity, Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charitè - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; Mucosal and Developmental Immunology, Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
The membrane-spanning 4A (MS4A) family includes 18 members with a tetraspan structure in humans. They are differentially and selectively expressed in immunocompetent cells, such as B cells (CD20/MS4A1) and macrophages (MS4A4A), and associate with, and modulate the signaling activity of, different classes of immunoreceptor, including pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and Ig receptors. Evidence from preclinical models and genetic evidence from humans suggest that members of the MS4A family have key roles in different pathological settings, including cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegeneration. Therefore, MS4A family members might serve as candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various conditions.
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