Human PD-L1/B7-H1, C-hFc Tag Protein (HA210873)

PD-L1 (programmed-death ligand 1; CD274), is a transmembrane protein constitutionally expressed on a variety of cell types, including antigen presenting cells (dendritic cells and histiocytes) and some non-lymphoid tissues (heart and lung). Binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 (programmed-death 1; CD279) expressed by activated T-cells, inhibits their function, causing negative feedback control of immunological reactions, thus impeding inflammation and autoimmunity. Tumour cells may express PD-L1, which binds to PD-1 allowing cancer cells to evade the attack of T-cells. Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway has now shown useful in therapy of multiple cancer types, causing durable tumour regressions in a substantial proportion of otherwise treatment refractory cases of melanoma, and carcinomas of e.g., lung, kidney, and urinary tract. Patients without tumour PD-L1 expression can also derive benefit from blocking agents (studies across multiple cancer types demonstrate a pooled response rate of 48% in patients with PD-L1-positive tumours compared to 15% in PD-L1-negative tumours). Tonsil and placenta can be used as positive and negative tissue controls. However, tonsil is found to be superior to placenta, as tonsil displayes a range of PD-L1 expression levels. Tonsil displayes the following reaction pattern: No staining reaction in the vast majority of lymphocytes including mantle zone and germinal centre B-cells, no staining reaction in superficial epithelial cells, a weak to moderate, typically punctuated membranous staining reaction of the majority of germinal centre macrophages and finally a moderate to strong staining reaction of the majority of epithelial crypt cells.