CD7

CD7 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that mainly exists in T cells and NK cells. It can serve as a costimulatory molecule to participate in the proliferation and activation of lymphocytes, ensuring the normal development and function maintaining of the immune system. In clinical practice, CD7 is mainly used in the diagnosis of lymphoid and hematopoietic system tumors, including NK/T cell lymphoma, T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), etc. Moreover, the high expression of CD7 is correlated with the malignant progression of tumors, which may be because immature CD7+ cancer cells have stronger proliferation and invasion potential, and CD7 can participate in the aggregation and adhesion of cancer cells, making the disease develop more rapidly. However, the prognostic value of CD7 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is controversial. Currently, the mainstream view is that its positivity is a poor prognostic factor, but some research suggested that there is no correlation between them. In addition, CD7 can mediate the internalization of immunotoxins and serve as a new target for tumor therapy.