Fga, also known as fibrinogen alpha chain, is a crucial component of fibrinogen, an important plasma protein composed of three polypeptide chains (Fga, beta, and gamma). Fibrinogen is not only an inflammation regulator but also involved in various biological processes such as tumor progression. Fga has been associated with pathways like PI3K/AKT, VEGFR2-FAK, and FAK/ERK, highlighting its significance in different cellular functions [1,2,3].

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Fga was found to be downregulated and correlated with tumor stage and grade. Gene knockout and overexpression cell models demonstrated that overexpressing Fga inhibited migration and invasion of liver cancer cells, increased E-cadherin expression, decreased N-cadherin and slug protein expression, and knockout of Fga activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. In a mouse model of metastatic tumors, Fga overexpression restricted the spread of tumor cells, indicating its inhibitory effect on tumor metastasis [1]. In gastric cancer, low expression of Fga was observed in tissues and cell lines. Fga suppressed cell proliferation, motility, and EMT process, stimulated cell autophagy, and inhibited the FAK/ERK pathway through suppressing ITGA5 expression, and in vivo assays in BALB/c nude mice confirmed its role in suppressing tumor growth [3].

In conclusion, Fga plays a significant role in tumor-related biological processes. Studies using gene knockout and overexpression models in liver and gastric cancer have revealed its potential as a tumor-suppressing factor, providing new insights for the treatment of these cancers.

References:

1. Han, Xi, Liu, Zefeng, Cui, Mengying, Sheng, Jiyao, Zhang, Xuewen. 2024. FGA influences invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through the PI3K/AKT pathway. In Aging, 16, 12806-12819. doi:10.18632/aging.206011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39227068/

2. Li, Hui, Cai, E, Cheng, Hongyan, Zhu, Honglan, Chang, Xiaohong. 2022. FGA Controls VEGFA Secretion to Promote Angiogenesis by Activating the VEGFR2-FAK Signalling Pathway. In Frontiers in endocrinology, 13, 791860. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.791860. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35498401/

3. Liu, Guangli, Xu, Xintao, Geng, Hui, Zou, Shenshan, Li, Xin. 2022. FGA inhibits metastases and induces autophagic cell death in gastric cancer via inhibiting ITGA5 to regulate the FAK/ERK pathway. In Tissue & cell, 76, 101767. doi:10.1016/j.tice.2022.101767. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35257941/