CDR2L

CDR2L, short for cerebellar degeneration-related protein 2-like, is a protein encoded by the human CDR2L gene. It belongs to the cerebellar degeneration-related (CDR) family and is related to CDR2, sharing sequence similarity and a role in neuronal and tumor-associated contexts. The exact biological function of CDR2L is not fully established, but it is considered to participate in regulatory processes within neurons and to be involved in antigenic networks linked to autoimmunity.

Expression of CDR2L is observed in neural tissue, particularly in regions such as the cerebellum, and it is also found in a variety of tumors. This dual expression pattern underlies its significance as a tumor antigen and its recognition by the immune system in certain paraneoplastic conditions.

Clinical relevance of CDR2L centers on its role as an autoantigen targeted by anti-Yo antibodies, which are associated with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (a form of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome). Anti-Yo responses commonly recognize CDR2 and CDR2L, and the presence of Yo antibodies in a patient with compatible neurological symptoms and an underlying malignancy supports diagnosis. Tumors frequently linked to this syndrome include breast and ovarian cancers.

In research and clinical practice, assays detecting Yo antibodies or CDR2/CDR2L-specific immune responses aid in diagnosis and study of paraneoplastic syndromes. The identification of CDR2L alongside CDR2 has enhanced understanding of the antigenic landscape driving autoimmune cerebellar degeneration and its cancer associations. See also: CDR2, paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, Yo antibodies.