Role of CD47 as a Marker of Self on Red Blood Cells

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 288; no. 5473; pp. 2051 - 2054
• Main Authors: Oldenborg, Per-Arne, Zheleznyak, Alex, Fang, Yi-Fu, Lagenaur, Carl F., Gresham, Hattie D., Lindberg, Frederik P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 16-06-2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Anemia; Anemia, Hemolytic - immunology; Animals; Antibodies; Antigens, CD - blood; Antigens, CD - genetics; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Antigens, Differentiation; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Carrier Proteins - blood; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; CD47 Antigen; Cells; Chemical inhibitors; Clodronic Acid - pharmacology; Erythrocyte Transfusion; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - immunology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Glycoproteins; Humans; Immune system; Immunohematology; Killer cells; Kinetics; Liposomes; Macrophages; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins - immunology; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Molecules; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules - immunology; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules - metabolism; Neurons; Phagocytosis; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Receptors; Receptors, Immunologic; Red blood cell immunology; Rodents; Self Tolerance; Signal Transduction; SIRP^a protein; Spleen; Spleen - immunology; Human; Red blood cell; Biological marker; Immunohematology; Self
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5473.2051

The immune system recognizes invaders as foreign because they express determinants that are absent on host cells or because they lack "markers of self" that are normally present. Here we show that CD47 (integrin-associated protein) functions as a marker of self on murine red blood cells. Red blood cells that lacked CD47 were rapidly cleared from the bloodstream by splenic red pulp macrophages. CD47 on normal red blood cells prevented this elimination by binding to the inhibitory receptor signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα). Thus, macrophages may use a number of nonspecific activating receptors and rely on the presence or absence of CD47 to distinguish self from foreign. CD47-SIRPα may represent a potential pathway for the control of hemolytic anemia.