The VCAM-1 gene contains six or seven immunoglobulin domains, and is expressed on both large and small blood vessels only after the endothelial cells are stimulated by cytokines.

[6] The gene product is a cell surface sialoglycoprotein, a type I membrane protein that is a member of the Ig superfamily.

It also functions in leukocyte-endothelial cell signal transduction, and it may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Upregulation of VCAM-1 in endothelial cells by cytokines occurs as a result of increased gene transcription (e.g., in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1)) and through stabilization of messenger RNA (mRNA) (e.g., Interleukin-4 (IL-4)).

[9] Certain melanoma cells can use VCAM-1 to adhere to the endothelium,[10] VCAM-1 may participate in monocyte recruitment to atherosclerotic sites, and it is highly overexpressed in the inflamed brain.