{"entity":{"id":"klrc1","kind":"target","name":"NKG2A (KLRC1)","aka":["NKG2A","NKG2-A","CD159a","killer cell lectin like receptor C1"],"tldr":"NKG2A is the brake on NK cells and some killer T cells that is pressed by HLA-E, a molecule tumours raise to look like self. Monalizumab blocks it and is in phase 3 with durvalumab in lung cancer and with cetuximab in head and neck cancer.","summary":"KLRC1 (chromosome 12p13.2) encodes NKG2A, which pairs with CD94 (KLRD1) on cytotoxic and regulatory lymphocytes and recognises the non-classical class Ib molecule HLA-E loaded with signal-sequence peptides from classical class Ia molecules, letting cytotoxic cells monitor MHC class I on healthy cells and tolerate them (UniProt P26715). It is predominantly expressed on NK cells and on subsets of intraepithelial, gamma-delta and memory CD8 T cells (protein level). Monalizumab, an anti-NKG2A antibody, is in the PACIFIC-9 phase 3 study with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NCT05221840) and the INTERLINK-1 phase 3 with cetuximab in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NCT04590963).","asOf":"2026-09-24","links":[{"label":"HGNC HGNC:6374","url":"https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6374"},{"label":"UniProt P26715","url":"https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P26715/entry"},{"label":"NCBI Gene 3821","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3821"},{"label":"ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05221840","url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05221840"}],"tags":["checkpoint-map"],"related":["hla-e","nk-cell","durvalumab"],"cancers":["nsclc"],"sections":[],"technologies":["checkpoint-inhibitor"],"targets":[],"drugs":["monalizumab"],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":["cancer-immunity-cycle"],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":["Prevalence not recorded: HGNC and UniProt carry no positivity rates."],"provenance":{"editedBy":"OnCo checkpoint map (HGNC REST, UniProt REST, ClinicalTrials.gov v2)","editedOn":"2026-09-24"},"symbol":"KLRC1","role":["immune-checkpoint"],"sources":[{"label":"HGNC HGNC:6374","url":"https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6374","note":"approved symbol, name, aliases and cross-references"},{"label":"UniProt P26715","url":"https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P26715/entry","note":"protein name, function and tissue specificity"}],"specificitySources":[],"hgnc":"HGNC:6374","ensembl":"ENSG00000134545","uniprot":"P26715","entrez":"3821","biology":"A C-type lectin-like inhibitory receptor; the CD94/NKG2A heterodimer reads HLA-E and signals through ITIMs.","whereFound":["NK cells; intraepithelial and memory CD8 T-cell subsets (UniProt P26715)","Non-small-cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer trials of monalizumab"],"targetClass":"checkpoint","prevalence":[]},"route":"/targets/klrc1/","neighbours":{"target":[{"id":"hla-e","kind":"target","name":"HLA-E","route":"/targets/hla-e/"},{"id":"kir2dl1","kind":"target","name":"KIR2DL1 (inhibitory KIR)","route":"/targets/kir2dl1/"}],"term":[{"id":"checkpoint","kind":"term","name":"Checkpoint (two meanings)","route":"/terms/checkpoint/"},{"id":"nk-cell","kind":"term","name":"NK cell","route":"/terms/nk-cell/"}],"drug":[{"id":"durvalumab","kind":"drug","name":"Durvalumab","route":"/drugs/durvalumab/"},{"id":"monalizumab","kind":"drug","name":"Monalizumab","route":"/drugs/monalizumab/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"nsclc","kind":"cancer","name":"Non-small-cell lung cancer","route":"/cancers/nsclc/"}],"technology":[{"id":"checkpoint-inhibitor","kind":"technology","name":"Immune checkpoint inhibitors","route":"/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/"}],"pathway":[{"id":"cancer-immunity-cycle","kind":"pathway","name":"The cancer-immunity cycle","route":"/pathways/cancer-immunity-cycle/"}]}}