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GeneE
25 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
β“˜GeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
CD28
CD28 molecule
Chromosome 2 Β· 2q33.2
NCBI Gene: 940Ensembl: ENSG00000178562.19HGNC: HGNC:1653UniProt: B4E0L1
425PubMed Papers
21Diseases
2Drugs
1Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub GeneReceptor
RESEARCH IMPACT
Highly Studied
CLINICAL
Clinical TrialsOMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
transmembrane signaling receptor activityprotein bindingpositive regulation of gene expressionnegative regulation of gene expressionHIV infectionasthmainflammatory bowel diseaseautoimmune disease
✦AI Summary

CD28 is a critical T cell costimulatory molecule that functions as a transmembrane signaling receptor essential for adaptive immunity. Structurally, CD28 provides the second signal required alongside T cell receptor (TCR) ligation for naive T cell activation 1. Mechanistically, CD28 engages with B7 ligands (B7.1 and B7.2) and activates multiple signaling cascades including phosphoinositide 3-kinase, phospholipase C, and p21ran, leading to cyclosporin A-resistant signals distinct from TCR signaling 2. CD28 ligation promotes cytoskeletal remodeling, cytokine production (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10), T cell proliferation, survival, and regulatory T cell differentiation and maintenance 1. Functionally, CD28 signaling is critical for regulatory T cell development in the thymus and peripheral immune homeostasis 3. Disease relevance includes Immunodeficiency 123 with HPV-related verrucosis, while CD28 loss correlates with T cell senescence in aging and chr2 infections 4. Notably, a non-classical cancer cell-intrinsic CD28 function promotes immune escape by stabilizing PD-L1 mRNA, and targeting this pathway enhances anti-PD-1 immunotherapy efficacy 5. Clinically, CD28 costimulatory domains are incorporated into chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies to enhance anti-tumor cytotoxicity and proliferation 67.

Sources cited
1
CD28 provides critical second signal for T cell activation and regulates cytokine production, survival, and differentiation
PMID: 27192564
2
CD28 activates multiple signaling cascades including PI3K, PLC, and p21ran that are cyclosporin A-resistant
PMID: 8809021
3
CD28 is critical for regulatory T cell development in the thymus and immune homeostasis
PMID: 26924728
4
CD28 loss marks T cell senescence and correlates with aging and chronic infections
PMID: 15882352
5
Cancer cell CD28 stabilizes PD-L1 mRNA to promote immune escape; blocking CD28 enhances anti-PD-1 therapy
PMID: 39672166
6
CD28 costimulatory domains in CAR-T cells enhance tumor cell lysis and T cell proliferation
PMID: 11753365
7
CD28 costimulatory moieties in CAR-T cells affect cytokine production and activation-induced cell death
PMID: 28807568
Disease Associationsβ“˜21
HIV infectionOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
asthmaOpen Targets
0.49Moderate
inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.43Moderate
autoimmune diseaseOpen Targets
0.43Moderate
immunodeficiency 123 with HPV-related verrucosisOpen Targets
0.40Weak
hypothyroidismOpen Targets
0.40Weak
cancerOpen Targets
0.39Weak
celiac diseaseOpen Targets
0.37Weak
sclerosing cholangitisOpen Targets
0.35Weak
psoriasisOpen Targets
0.35Weak
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
Tietze syndromeOpen Targets
0.32Weak
allergic diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
IGA glomerulonephritisOpen Targets
0.32Weak
respiratory system diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
nephrotic syndromeOpen Targets
0.31Weak
multiple sclerosisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Abnormal thrombosisOpen Targets
0.30Weak
premature birthOpen Targets
0.30Weak
bronchial diseaseOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Immunodeficiency 123 with HPV-related verrucosisUniProt
Pathogenic Variants1
NM_006139.4(CD28):c.52G>A (p.Gly18Arg)Pathogenic
Immunodeficiency 123 with HPV-related verrucosis
β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 18
View on ClinVar β†—
Drug Targets2
LULIZUMAB PEGOLPhase II
T-cell-specific surface glycoprotein CD28 antagonist
systemic lupus erythematosus
TGN-1412Phase II
T-cell-specific surface glycoprotein CD28 agonist
systemic lupus erythematosus
Related Genes
PIK3R3Protein interaction100%PIK3R1Protein interaction100%PIK3CBProtein interaction100%PIK3CAProtein interaction100%ZAP70Protein interaction100%CD58Protein interaction99%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
46%
Heart
20%
Liver
14%
Brain
8%
Ovary
5%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CD28PIK3R3PIK3R1PIK3CBPIK3CAZAP70CD58
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5GJI Β· 0.90 Γ… Β· X-ray
View on RCSB β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
0.63LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.78Intermediate
Observed/Expected LoF0.32 [0.17–0.63]
RankingsWhere CD28 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #658of 20,598
    Most Researched425 Β· top 5%
  • #4,631of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants1
  • #4,498of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.63
Genes detectedCD28
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
25β–Ό
1
Inhibiting intracellular CD28 in cancer cells enhances antitumor immunity and overcomes anti-PD-1 resistance via targeting PD-L1.
PMID: 39672166
Cancer Cell Β· 2025
1.00
2
CD28 Costimulation: From Mechanism to Therapy.
PMID: 27192564
Immunity Β· 2016
0.90
3
Human T-lymphocyte cytotoxicity and proliferation directed by a single chimeric TCRzeta /CD28 receptor.
PMID: 11753365
Nat Biotechnol Β· 2002
0.80
4
CD28 and CD57 define four populations with distinct phenotypic properties within human CD8
PMID: 31755098
Eur J Immunol Β· 2020
0.72
5
Function of Novel Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptors with Human Variable Regions Is Affected by Hinge and Transmembrane Domains.
PMID: 28807568
Mol Ther Β· 2017
0.70