LRG1 in cancer: mechanisms, potential therapeutic target, and use in clinical diagnosis.

Abstract

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is an extracellular protein whose elevated expression has been linked to cancers with poor prognosis and low survival rates. Given its significance as a biomarker, this manuscript explores the role of LRG1 in cancer, as several studies have identified it as a promoter of proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis in breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and neuroblastoma cancers. However, contrasting evidence suggests that LRG1 inhibits proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and suppresses migration and invasion in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We also examine its regulation and the associated signaling pathways, including TGF-β and PI3K/AKT/mTOR.