Strength in numbers: how multimerization drives HpHb uptake by CD163 scavenging receptor.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41444480.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-67812-3 and PMC identifier 12774901.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
CD163 is a macrophage scavenger receptor central to the clearance of haptoglobin-hemoglobin (HpHb) complexes and the resolution of inflammation. In a remarkable example of near-simultaneous scientific progress, three complementary studies published in Nature Communications<sup>–</sup> have resolved the near-atomic resolution structure of the full extracellular domain of human CD163 complexed with HpHb, primarily utilizing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The most significant and unified conclusion emerging from this trio of papers is that CD163’s scavenging activity is fundamentally dependent on its ability to form functional multimers.