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Protein / target

Leukocyte surface antigen CD47

Encoded byCD47Q08722Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinical-stage
Therapeutic maturity
2
Clinical candidates
Antibody-tractable
Druggability
Advanced Clinical
7
Research papers

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Protein binding involved in heterotypic cell-cell adhesion

Strongest disease association

Smoking initiation

Via encoding gene CD47 · Genetic evidence · score 0.52

Therapeutic position

Clinically advancing target

Antibodies

Research activity

Emerging research

7 papers · latest 2025

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Adhesive protein that mediates cell-to-cell interactions.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Adhesive protein that mediates cell-to-cell interactions (PubMed:11509594, PubMed:15383453). Acts as a receptor for thrombospondin THBS1 and as modulator of integrin signaling through the activation of heterotrimeric G proteins (PubMed:19004835, PubMed:7691831, PubMed:8550562). Involved in signal transduction, cardiovascular homeostasis, inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, cellular self-renewal, and immunoregulation (PubMed:11509594, PubMed:15383453, PubMed:19004835, PubMed:27742621, PubMed:32679764, PubMed:7691831, PubMed:8550562). Plays a role in modulating pulmonary endothelin EDN1 signaling (PubMed:27742621). Modulates nitrous oxide (NO) signaling, in response to THBS1, hence playing a role as a pressor agent, supporting blood pressure (By similarity). Plays an important role in memory formation and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (By similarity). Receptor for SIRPA, binding to which prevents maturation of immature dendritic cells and inhibits cytokine production by mature dendritic cells (PubMed:11509594). Interaction with SIRPG mediates cell-cell adhesion, enhances superantigen-dependent T-cell-mediated proliferation and costimulates T-cell activation (PubMed:15383453). Positively modulates FAS-dependent apoptosis in T-cells, perhaps by enhancing FAS clustering (By similarity). Plays a role in suppressing angiogenesis and may be involved in metabolic dysregulation during normal aging (PubMed:32679764). In response to THBS1, negatively modulates wound healing (By similarity). Inhibits stem cell self-renewal, in response to THBS1, probably by regulation of the stem cell transcription factors POU5F1/OCT4, SOX2, MYC/c-Myc and KLF4 (By similarity). May play a role in membrane transport and/or integrin dependent signal transduction (PubMed:7691831). May prevent premature elimination of red blood cells (By similarity)

Subcellular location

Cell membrane
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (34)

Domains & features

Ig-like V-type

Gene Ontology

  • Ccell surface
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Cplasma membrane
  • Cspecific granule membrane
  • Ctertiary granule membrane
  • Fcell-cell adhesion mediator activity
  • Ffibrinogen binding
  • Fprotein binding involved in heterotypic cell-cell adhesion
  • Fthrombospondin receptor activity
  • Pangiogenesis
  • Papoptotic process
  • PATP export

323 aa · 35 kDa · 4 isoforms

Biological roles

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Cell proliferation & survivalGOCell migrationGOImmune signallingUniProt · GOCell adhesionUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Cell proliferation & survival

  • ·positive regulation of cell population proliferation

Cell migration

  • ·cell migration

Immune signalling

  • ·Adhesive protein that mediates cell-to-cell interactions (PubMed:11509594, PubMed:153834…
  • ·cellular response to interleukin-1
  • ·cellular response to interleukin-12
  • ·inflammatory response

Cell adhesion

  • ·Adhesive protein that mediates cell-to-cell interactions (PubMed:11509594, PubMed:153834…
  • ·cell-cell adhesion mediator activity
  • ·protein binding involved in heterotypic cell-cell adhesion
  • ·positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene CD47

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene CD47 that encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
0.58Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.32

Smoking initiation
0.52Moderately supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.32

Myelodysplastic syndrome
0.49Limited support

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.37

Hypothyroidism
0.47Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.29

Atrial Fibrillation
0.45Limited support

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.27

View evidence synthesis (5)
Lupus Erythematosus, SystemicModerately supported
0.58
agreement 0.460.70
Genetic70%Animal model15%Literature14%

Open Targets aggregate 0.32 · 3 independent evidence families

Smoking initiationModerately supported
0.52
agreement 0.400.64
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.32 · 1 independent evidence family

Myelodysplastic syndromeLimited support
0.49
agreement 0.340.65
Clinical80%Literature20%

Open Targets aggregate 0.37 · 2 independent evidence families

HypothyroidismLimited support
0.47
agreement 0.350.59
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.29 · 1 independent evidence family

Atrial FibrillationLimited support
0.45
agreement 0.310.59
Genetic99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.27 · 2 independent evidence families

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Myelodysplastic syndrome0.37
Smoking initiation0.32
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic0.32
Hypothyroidism0.29
Atrial Fibrillation0.27
Bipolar Disorder0.27
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute0.21

Drug development

2 compounds recorded · 2 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines.

View all recorded compounds (2)
MAGROLIMABPhase 3
EVORPACEPTPhase 2 3

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

AntibodiesStrong

Advanced Clinical and UniProt loc high conf support this modality.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (database ubiquitination and half-life data) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Other modalitiesStrong

Advanced Clinical support this modality.

View underlying tractability evidence (9)
AB · Advanced ClinicalAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMAB · Human Protein Atlas locPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Advanced Clinical

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Research activity

7 papers · to 2025

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Jiang Z · Journal of hematology & oncology · 2021

Liu Y · Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2023

Recent

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.