# PDCD1LG2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/pdcd1lg2/  
OnCo record `pdcd1lg2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

PDCD1LG2 (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 2) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, an oncogene driver, a biomarker and an antigen, and an approved or late-stage drug is recorded against it. Tied to Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, Thyroid cancer, Breast cancer and 2 more.

## Summary

Plays a critical role in induction and maintenance of immune tolerance to self. Acts as a ligand for the inhibitory receptor PDCD1/PD-1, inhibiting T-cell proliferation by blocking cell cycle progression and cytokine production.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant, naming Pembrolizumab. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.64 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.99, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.82). IntOGen calls it a driver in 2 cohorts (2 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Melanoma, Well-Differentiated Thyroid Cancer. In OnCo, 3 product records name it (Retifanlimab, Sintilimab and Sasanlimab).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: programmed cell death 1 ligand 2; Programmed cell death 1 ligand 2; PD-L2; Btdc; PDL2; bA574F11.2; CD273; B7-DC; B7DC
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: PDCD1LG2
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Plays a critical role in induction and maintenance of immune tolerance to self. Acts as a ligand for the inhibitory receptor PDCD1/PD-1, inhibiting T-cell proliferation by blocking cell cycle progression and cytokine production. Location: Secreted; Endomembrane system; Cell membrane (UniProt). Locus 9p24.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: CIViC evidence names this disease; Thyroid cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (WDTC); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.54 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Melanoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (MEL); Papillary thyroid cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (WDTC)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: CIViC lists 1 therapies; IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 2 cohorts; CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants; a membrane or secreted protein (UniProt keywords) that 3 antibody-based OnCo products name. Evidence tier "approved-drug" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:18731: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:18731
- UniProt Q9BQ51: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9BQ51/entry
- NCBI Gene 80380: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/80380
- Ensembl ENSG00000197646: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000197646

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/), [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Papillary thyroid cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/papillary-thyroid-cancer/), [Thyroid cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/thyroid/)
- drugs: [Retifanlimab](https://onco.cc/drugs/retifanlimab/), [Sasanlimab](https://onco.cc/drugs/sasanlimab/), [Sintilimab](https://onco.cc/drugs/sintilimab/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/pdcd1lg2.json