Endosialin is a member of the “Group XIV”, a novel family of C-type lectin transmembrane receptors which play a role not only in cell–cell adhesion processes but also in host defence. This family comprise two other members, CD93 and Thrombomodulin which are better characterized.
The function of endosialin remains elusive, but its expression has been associated with angiogenesis in the embryo and uterus and in tumor development and growth.[4]
↑Rupp C, Dolznig H, Puri C, Sommergruber W, Kerjaschki D, Rettig WJ, Garin-Chesa P (2006). "Mouse endosialin, a C-type lectin-like cell surface receptor: expression during embryonic development and induction in experimental cancer neoangiogenesis". Cancer Immun. 6: 10. PMID16875435.
Opavsky R, Haviernik P, Jurkovicova D, et al. (2001). "Molecular characterization of the mouse Tem1/endosialin gene regulated by cell density in vitro and expressed in normal tissues in vivo". J. Biol. Chem. 276 (42): 38795–807. doi:10.1074/jbc.M105241200. PMID11489895.
Ota T, Suzuki Y, Nishikawa T, et al. (2004). "Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs". Nat. Genet. 36 (1): 40–5. doi:10.1038/ng1285. PMID14702039.
Brady J, Neal J, Sadakar N, Gasque P (2005). "Human endosialin (tumor endothelial marker 1) is abundantly expressed in highly malignant and invasive brain tumors". J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 63 (12): 1274–83. PMID15624764.
MacFadyen JR, Haworth O, Roberston D, et al. (2005). "Endosialin (TEM1, CD248) is a marker of stromal fibroblasts and is not selectively expressed on tumour endothelium". FEBS Lett. 579 (12): 2569–75. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2005.03.071. PMID15862292.
Dolznig H, Schweifer N, Puri C, et al. (2006). "Characterization of cancer stroma markers: in silico analysis of an mRNA expression database for fibroblast activation protein and endosialin". Cancer Immun. 5: 10. PMID16076089.