Species Human Entrez 84868 | Human Mouse Ensembl ENSG00000135077 | |
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Aliases HAVCR2, HAVcr-2, KIM-3, TIM3, TIMD-3, TIMD3, Tim-3, CD366, hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 External IDs MGI: 2159682 HomoloGene: 129541 GeneCards: HAVCR2 | ||
Hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 (HAVCR2), also known as T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HAVCR2 gene.
Contents
Function
CD4-positive T helper lymphocytes can be divided into several types (including types 1 (Th1) and 2 (Th2)) on the basis of their cytokine secretion patterns. Th1 cells and their associated cytokines are involved in cell-mediated immunity to intracellular pathogens and delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, whereas Th2 cells are involved in the control of extracellular helminthic infections and the promotion of atopic and allergic diseases. The 2 types of cells also cross-regulate the functions of the other.
T-cell exhaustion is mediated by several inhibitory receptors including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1), TIM3, and lymphocyte activation gene 3 protein (LAG3). TIM3, an immune checkpoint, is a Th1-specific cell surface protein that regulates macrophage activation and enhances the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice.
Clinical significance
The Tim-3 pathway may interact with the PD-1 pathway in the dysfunctional CD8+ T cells and Tregs in cancer.