TMEM171, Transmembrane Protein 171, is a gene whose exact function is still being elucidated, but its associations suggest involvement in multiple biological processes. Genome-wide association studies have linked it to serum urate concentrations, which are related to gout, indicating its potential role in metabolic control of urate production and excretion [1]. It has also been associated with the regulation of coagulation factor VIII and von Willebrand factor plasma levels, hinting at a role in blood-related physiological processes [2].

In the context of diseases, TMEM171 has been implicated in various cancers. In early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, it is among the methylation driver genes used to establish a prognostic index [3]. In triple-negative breast cancer, its expression can be down-regulated by apigenin in TNFα-immuno-activated cells, potentially affecting tumorigenic leukocyte infiltration [4]. In murine macrophages, punicalagin, a PTP1B inhibitor, up-regulates TMEM171 during M2c-like macrophage polarization, influencing the anti-inflammatory response [5]. In papillary thyroid cancer, TMEM171 is part of a prognostic prediction model constructed from glucose metabolism-related genes, and the model can help guide chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint blockade therapy [6].

In summary, TMEM171 is associated with multiple biological processes and disease conditions. Its involvement in metabolic, blood-related, and cancer-associated processes makes it an important gene for further functional studies. The findings from various disease-related research, though not from gene knockout models in the provided references, suggest its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in diseases such as gout and certain cancers.

References:

1. Köttgen, Anna, Albrecht, Eva, Teumer, Alexander, Bochud, Murielle, Gieger, Christian. 2012. Genome-wide association analyses identify 18 new loci associated with serum urate concentrations. In Nature genetics, 45, 145-54. doi:10.1038/ng.2500. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23263486/

2. Sabater-Lleal, Maria, Huffman, Jennifer E, de Vries, Paul S, Lowenstein, Charles J, Smith, Nicholas L. . Genome-Wide Association Transethnic Meta-Analyses Identifies Novel Associations Regulating Coagulation Factor VIII and von Willebrand Factor Plasma Levels. In Circulation, 139, 620-635. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.034532. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30586737/

3. Ren, Jin, Yang, Yun, Li, Chuanyin, Qin, Xiong, Zhang, Menghuan. 2021. A Novel Prognostic Model of Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma Integrating Methylation and Immune Biomarkers. In Frontiers in genetics, 11, 634634. doi:10.3389/fgene.2020.634634. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33552145/

4. Bauer, David, Mazzio, Elizabeth, Soliman, Karam F A. . Whole Transcriptomic Analysis of Apigenin on TNFα Immuno-activated MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells. In Cancer genomics & proteomics, 16, 421-431. doi:10.21873/cgp.20146. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31659097/

5. Xu, Xiaolong, Guo, Yuhong, Zhao, Jingxia, Wang, Ning, Liu, Qingquan. 2017. Punicalagin, a PTP1B inhibitor, induces M2c phenotype polarization via up-regulation of HO-1 in murine macrophages. In Free radical biology & medicine, 110, 408-420. doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.06.014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28690198/

6. Xie, Wenjun, Zeng, Yu, Hu, Linfei, Lin, Qiang, Li, Huashui. 2022. Based on different immune responses under the glucose metabolizing type of papillary thyroid cancer and the response to anti-PD-1 therapy. In Frontiers in immunology, 13, 991656. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.991656. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36211409/