The CD82 gene helps cells stick to their neighbors and respond to signals that control movement and growth. This gene plays an important role in keeping cells more settled in place, especially in tissues where orderly cell behavior matters. If the CD82 gene is less active or not working well, cells may be more likely to break away and spread, which is why low CD82 activity has been linked to the spread of some cancers. CD82 is mainly known in cancer research rather than in popular culture.
What is a gene?
Genes are stretches of DNA that carry instructions your cells use to make molecules or regulate activities in the body. Some provide the code for proteins, which do much of the work inside cells. Others mainly control when specific processes happen, where they happen, and how active they are. Taken together, genes affect how the body develops and functions, and they can also influence how you respond to food, stress, or medications. More information on this topic is available in the LearnHub.
Overview
CD82Gene function
What if the gene works
The CD82 gene helps cells communicate with nearby cells and their surroundings. It supports controlled cell movement, cell sticking, and immune cell activity.
Risk
What if the gene does not work
Variants in the CD82 gene can range from milder to more severe and may reduce how well this cell surface protein organizes signaling partners. That can weaken cell to cell adhesion and alter how cells move and respond to signals.
Treatment
What does that mean for your treatment
No established treatment or drug choice is currently guided specifically by pathogenic or loss-of-function variants in the CD82 gene. In cancer research, low CD82 activity is being studied as a marker of tumor spread and as a possible treatment target.
Gene function
What if the gene works
In everyday cell life, the CD82 gene helps organize the cell surface so cells can sense their surroundings and respond in a coordinated way. Its protein sits in the cell membrane and works with nearby proteins rather than acting alone. A well known part of CD82 gene function is helping coordinate cell adhesion and signaling.
The CD82 gene helps arrange groups of proteins at the cell surface. This makes contact with nearby cells and incoming signals more coordinated.
One of its main roles is to support how cells attach to nearby cells and the tissue around them. It does this by working with integrins (surface proteins that help cells anchor and grip).
Inside the membrane, CD82 helps fine tune messages that tell cells how to respond to their environment. This supports steady communication linked to shape, growth, and interaction with other cells.
By shaping surface contacts and signals, the CD82 gene helps regulate normal cell movement. This supports orderly positioning of cells within tissues.
What is a variant?
A genetic variant is a slight difference in a gene’s DNA sequence. Variants are common and help explain normal differences between people, such as appearance, metabolism, and how the body responds to environmental influences. Many do not lead to any noticeable effect and simply represent natural genetic variation. Sometimes, though, a variant changes gene function more significantly and can contribute to, or cause, a genetic condition.
Genetic variants
What if the gene does not work
Variants in the CD82 gene can change the shape, stability, or cell surface placement of the CD82 protein, which helps explain how CD82 gene variants affect cell signaling and protein partnerships. Milder variants may partly reduce how well the protein folds or binds to partner molecules, while more severe variants can greatly lower protein levels or keep it from reaching the cell membrane. These changes can weaken its interactions with other membrane proteins and alter signaling inside the cell.
How variants are linked to conditions
At present, conditions linked to CD82 gene variants are not broadly confirmed in human genetics, and inherited changes in the CD82 gene have not been firmly tied to one specific health condition. Anyone with a reported CD82 finding should use their own doctor’s or genetic counselor’s advice to interpret what it means for them.
A variant is not necessarily a diagnosis
Genetic variants are a common and normal feature of human biology across the general population. Most do not directly affect health and simply contribute to natural differences among people. For many genes, having a variant associated with a condition points to a possible link rather than a certain diagnosis, particularly when several genes and environmental influences play a part. In some situations, though, one well characterized variant in a particular gene is enough to confirm a diagnosis.
Are there things that can increase or change my risk?
There is not yet broadly confirmed evidence on specific factors that increase or reduce health risk related to the CD82 gene. If CD82 is part of your test results and you are concerned about what it may mean for you or your family, a doctor or genetic counselor can help put it in context.
Inheritance of CD82 variants
There is not yet a broadly confirmed Mendelian pattern for the inheritance of the CD82 gene variants in relation to a specific inherited condition. Current evidence does not support describing CD82-related health effects with a well-established pattern such as autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive. The CD82 gene is located on chromosome 11, which is an autosome, so you inherit one copy from each parent. As research develops, the inheritance picture for CD82 may become clearer.
What does my CD82 result mean for my family?
There is not yet a broadly confirmed inherited pattern linking CD82 to a specific named genetic condition. Most discussion of CD82 is about changes seen in tumors rather than an inherited family condition. If you have a specific CD82 result and want to understand what it could mean for relatives, a doctor or genetic counselor can explain it in the context of your full test report.
Genetic information
Genetic testing
How you find out about variants
Testing for variants in the CD82 gene is done by analyzing DNA from a blood sample or saliva sample. A lab reads the gene’s DNA sequence and compares it with a reference to report whether a variant was found, not found, or has a health meaning that is not yet clear.
When should I consider getting a genetic test?
There isn't yet a broadly established, CD82-specific reason to get genetic testing as part of routine care. Testing decisions are usually based on your personal or family history and are best discussed with a doctor or genetic counselor.
A genetic result is only one part of your health story
A genetic finding can provide useful insight, but how much it explains varies by the condition and the type of variant involved. Over time, factors such as lifestyle, environment, age, and medical history also shape how the body functions. For some conditions, especially those influenced by many genes, genetic information offers context rather than certainty and is best understood together with other parts of care. In other situations, a genetic result can give a clear answer. In areas such as medication response, genetic results can also help place personal experiences in context.
Pharmacogenetics
How variants shape your response to medicine
Genetic variation can affect how people respond to medicines because the body does not process every drug in exactly the same way. Some people break down a medication more slowly or more quickly, while others may be more or less sensitive to its effects. This common difference can influence how well a treatment works and the chance of side effects.
What is Pharmacogenetics?
Pharmacogenetics examines how differences in a person’s genes can shape their response to medicines. It studies the relationship between genes and medications to help explain why the same treatment can affect people in different ways. With many drugs, genes influence either how the body handles the medicine or how much effect it has. Understanding this can support treatment choices that are both better informed and more personalized. More detailed information on this topic is available in the LearnHub.
Drugs influenced by the CD82 gene
When should I seek medical advice?
There is not yet a broadly confirmed role for this gene in guiding medication choices, so questions about side effects, treatment response, or drug safety are best discussed with your doctor. CD82 is being studied in cancer research, but it is not currently used in routine prescribing decisions.
History
CD82 entered cancer genetics in the 1990s, when researchers studying prostate cancer identified it as KAI1, a gene linked to the spread of cancer cells. Initially understood only through visible traits, later recognized as tied to a specific gene, its discovery helped shift attention toward genes that may hold cancer in place rather than simply drive tumor growth. From these first observations, research expanded steadily into other cancers, including breast, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers. Over time, scientists’ understanding of the CD82 gene changed as better lab tools showed how often its activity is reduced in advanced tumors. Its history is mainly important within cancer research, where it became part of the broader story of how metastasis is studied.