Description:eBioTY/11.8 recognizes the with CD73 a 69-kDa GPI-anchored cell-surface protein with ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity. Expression on myeloid cells (CD11b) is restricted to the bone marrow. In human CD73 can be induced to secrete a soluble form with IL-2 suggesting a role in mediating activation signals. Differences between human and mouse CD73 have been reported. BALB/c mice have more CD4+CD73+ than CD8+CD73+ while the reciprocal is documented in humans.
CD73 is expressed on a subset of lymphocytes and increases during lymphocyte maturation. Recently it has been found that memory CD4 T cells express and are similar to the uncommitted primed precursor helper cells (Thpp) that can differentiate into Th1 or Th2 cells. Furthermore CD73 has been found on regulatory T cells.