MCA4622GA specifically recognises human CD73, otherwise known as ecto-5’-nucleotidase, a GPI-anchored enzyme and member of the 5’-nucleotidase family, which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of 5’-mononucleotides into their corresponding nucleosides, and can also mediate co-stimulatory signals in T cell activation.
CD73 is expressed by subpopulations of T and B lymphocytes, and increases during lymphocyte development, acting as a lymphocyte maturation marker. A decrease in CD73 activity has been associated with several immunodeficiency disorders including AIDS and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and CD73 is expressed on a variety of lymphomas and leukaemias, including CLL and ALL.