Background:
CD90 is a 25-35 kD GPI-anchored protein, also known as Thy-1. It belongs to the Ig superfamily. Human CD90 is expressed on neuronal cells, a subset of CD34+ cells, a subset of fetal liver cells and fetal thymocytes, fibroblasts, activated endothelial cells, and some leukemia cell lines. CD34+CD90+ cells are primitive hematopoietic stem cells. It has been reported that Thy-1 binds with β2 and β3 integrins and plays bimodal roles in the regulation of cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth, and inhibits hematopoietic stem cells proliferation and differentiation.