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The roles of FHL2 in cancer

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Abstract

LIM domain protein 2, also known as LIM protein FHL2, is a member of the LIM-only family. Due to its LIM domain protein characteristics, FHL2 is capable of interacting with various proteins and plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, cell growth, and signal transduction in muscle and cardiac tissue. In recent years, mounting evidence has indicated that the FHLs protein family is closely associated with the development and occurrence of human tumors. On the one hand, FHL2 acts as a tumor suppressor by down-regulating in tumor tissue and effectively inhibiting tumor development by limiting cell proliferation. On the other hand, FHL2 serves as an oncoprotein by up-regulating in tumor tissue and binding to multiple transcription factors to suppress cell apoptosis, stimulate cell proliferation and migration, and promote tumor progression. Therefore, FHL2 is considered a double-edged sword in tumors with independent and complex functions. This article reviews the role of FHL2 in tumor occurrence and development, discusses FHL2 interaction with other proteins and transcription factors, and its involvement in multiple cell signaling pathways. Finally, the clinical significance of FHL2 as a potential target in tumor therapy is examined.

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Abbreviations

BC:

Breast cancer

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

GC:

Gastric cancer

CC:

Colorectal cancer

NSCLC:

Non-small cell lung cancer

PDAC:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

GCTs:

Granulosa cell tumors

EMT:

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition

SLIM:

Skeletal muscle LIM

BRCA1:

Breast cancer type1 susceptibility gene

Id3:

Inhibitors of differentiation 3

SRF:

Serum response factor

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Funding

This study was supported by Excellent Youth Project of Hunan Provincial Education Department [Grant No.22B0411]; Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation For Postgraduate [Grant No.CX20210960].

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  1. Jiawei Zhang and Qun Zeng have contributed equally to this work.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsheng West Road 28, Hengyang, 421001, China

    Jiawei Zhang, Qun Zeng & Meihua She

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  1. Jiawei Zhang
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  2. Qun Zeng
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. JZ and QZ wrote the manuscript; MS reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Meihua She.

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Zhang, J., Zeng, Q. & She, M. The roles of FHL2 in cancer. Clin Exp Med 23, 3113–3124 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10238-023-01076-3

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