# KIR2DL1 (inhibitory KIR)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/kir2dl1/  
OnCo record `kir2dl1` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Inhibitory KIRs are the receptors NK cells use to recognise a person's own HLA-C and stand down. Lirilumab, an antibody that blocks three of them, reached phase 2 but was dropped for blood cancers.

## Summary

KIR2DL1 (chromosome 19q13.42) is a receptor on NK cells for HLA-C alleles such as Cw4 and Cw6 that inhibits NK activity and so prevents lysis of the cell it recognises (UniProt P43626); KIR2DL3 does the same for HLA-Cw1, Cw3 and Cw7 (UniProt P43628). Lirilumab, an antibody against KIR2DL1, KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3, was tested in phase 1/2 with nivolumab in solid tumours (NCT01714739); enrolment in myelodysplastic syndromes stopped after the sponsor decided not to pursue lirilumab for myeloid malignancies (NCT02599649), and a relapsed AML study ended because response rates did not reach the anticipated minimum of 30 percent (NCT02399917).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-24
- Also known as: KIR; CD158a; p58.1; KIR2DL2; KIR2DL3; CD158b
- Tags: checkpoint-map
- Symbol: KIR2DL1
- Class: checkpoint
- Biology: Immunoglobulin-like receptors with long cytoplasmic tails (2DL, 3DL) inhibit through ITIMs; short-tailed KIRs activate. This record stands for the inhibitory KIR2DL group the antibody binds.
- Where found: NK cells (UniProt P43626); Myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukaemia trials of lirilumab (terminated)

## Notes

- Prevalence not recorded: HGNC and UniProt carry no positivity rates.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:6329: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6329
- UniProt P43626: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P43626/entry
- NCBI Gene 3802: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3802
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02599649: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02599649

## Connected records

- targets: [NKG2A (KLRC1)](https://onco.cc/targets/klrc1/)
- terms: [Checkpoint (two meanings)](https://onco.cc/terms/checkpoint/), [NK cell](https://onco.cc/terms/nk-cell/)
- drugs: [Nivolumab](https://onco.cc/drugs/nivolumab/)
- cancers: [Acute myeloid leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/aml/), [Myelodysplastic syndromes / neoplasms (MDS)](https://onco.cc/cancers/mds/)
- technologies: [Immune checkpoint inhibitors](https://onco.cc/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/)
- pathways: [The cancer-immunity cycle](https://onco.cc/pathways/cancer-immunity-cycle/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/kir2dl1.json