J Cancer 2022; 13(8):2528-2539. doi:10.7150/jca.67977 This issue Cite
Review
1. Shanxi Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Cancer, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, China
2. Shanxi Province Clinical Medical Research Center for Precision Medicine of Head and Neck Cancer, Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030001, Shanxi, China
3. Clinical Medical Academy & General Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
4. Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Taiyuan 030032, Shanxi, China
5. Translational Research Institute, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Academy of Medical Science, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Non-coding RNA and Metabolism in Cancer, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450003, Henan, China
# These authors contributed equally to this work.
Fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) is an actin-bundling protein that is capable of inducing membrane protrusions and plays critical roles in cell migration, motility, adhesion, and other cellular interactions. FSCN1 also plays a role in forming and stabilizing filopodia or microspikes, which assist during cell migration. Furthermore, FSCN1 is a downstream target of several microRNAs and participates in various biological processes, such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and autophagy, which regulate the invasion and migration ability of cells in various cancers. Increased FSCN1 levels have been associated with enhanced migration and invasion of multiple cancers as well as poor patient prognosis. Promising results from in vitro experimental studies using docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in breast cancer and recombinant porcine NK-lysin A in hepatocellular carcinoma have revealed that anticancer drugs targeting FSCN1 have significant potential clinical applications. This review discusses FSCN1 in terms of five aspects: structure and function, biological processes, regulatory mechanisms, clinical applications, and future prospects.
Keywords: FSCN1, Actin-binding protein, Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, Metastasis and invasion, Therapeutic target of cancer