Background
Programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1, CD274, B7-H1) has been identified as the ligand for the immunoinhibitory receptor programmed death-1(PD1/PDCD1) and has been demonstrated to play a role in the regulation of immune responses and peripheral tolerance. PD-L1/B7-H1 is a member of the growing B7 family of immune molecules and this protein contains one V-like and one C-like Ig domain within the extracellular domain, and together with PD-L2, are two ligands for PD1 which belongs to the CD28/CTLA4 family expressed on activated lymphoid cells. By binding to PD1 on activated T-cells and B-cells, PD-L1 may inhibit ongoing T-cell responses by inducing apoptosis and arresting cell-cycle progression. Accordingly, it leads to growth of immunogenic tumor growth by increasing apoptosis of antigen specific T cells and may contribute to immune evasion by cancers. PD-L1 thus is regarded as promising therapeutic target for human autoimmune disease and malignant cancers.
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