Mouse Anti-Human CD49a Antibody (S-5297)

CD49a, also known as integrin α1 subunit or the α chain of VLA-1, is a transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the ITGA1 gene. It is an important member of the integrin family, forming the α1β1 integrin complex through non-covalent association with the β1 subunit (CD29), serving as a cell surface receptor for collagen and laminin. This protein is expressed on various cell types, including activated T cells, monocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells, with its extracellular domain containing a critical I-type domain that mediates cell adhesion to collagen and laminin in the extracellular matrix. Beyond its fundamental adhesive functions, CD49a has recently been established as a key marker for tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1), among other tissue-resident immune cell populations. Under inflammatory or infectious conditions, it is induced and upregulated by cytokines such as TGF-β and IL-12, promoting the long-term survival of CD8⁺ TRM cells in peripheral tissues like the skin and maintaining their dendritic morphology to facilitate local immune surveillance, while also participating in regulating the migration and function of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells. Furthermore, aberrant CD49a expression is associated with various pathological conditions, including fibrosis, inflammatory diseases, as well as tumor progression and drug resistance, making it a potential therapeutic intervention target.