CD24 for Cardiovascular Researchers: A Key Molecule in Cardiac Immunology, Marker of Stem Cells and Target for Drug Development

The study of the membrane protein, CD24, and its emerging role in major disease processes, has made a huge leap forward in the past two decades. It appears to have various key roles in oncogenesis, tumor progression and metastasis, stem cell maintenance and immune modulation. First described in the 1980s as the homologous human protein to the mouse HSA (Heat Stable Antigen), it was reported as a surface marker in developing hematopoietic cell lines. The later discovery of its overexpression in a large number of human neoplasms, lead cancer researchers to discover its various active roles in critical checkpoints during cancer development and progression. Targeting CD24 in directed drug development showed promising results in cancer treatment. More recently, the chimeric CD24-Fc protein has shown exciting results in clinical trials as a specific modulator of auto-inflammatory syndromes. This report is aimed to summarize the relevant literature on CD24 and tie it together with recent advancements in cardiovascular research. We hypothesize that CD24 is a promising focus of research in the understanding of cardiovascular disease processes and the development of novel biological therapies.