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Updated: Jan 5, 2026
The Use of Reverse Phase Protein Arrays RPPA to Explore Protein Expression Variation within Individual Renal Cell Cancers
Published on: January 22, 2013
Study of FABP's interactome and detecting new molecular targets in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Guangzhen Wu1, Zhiwei Zhang1, Qizhen Tang1
1Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Abstract:
Fatty acids (FAs) play a crucial role in the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), FAs function requires the participation of fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP). Current studies have shown that different members of the FABP's family play different roles in the tumorigenesis of ccRCC. Therefore, the systematic analysis of FABPs will be of great significance. However, the diverse expression patterns and prognostic values of nine FABPs have yet to be elucidated. In this study, through multiple analysis and verification of multiple databases, such as ONCOMINE, The Human Protein Atlas, UALCAN, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, and cBioPortal, we found that the expression of FABP1 was significantly downregulated and the expression of FABP5/6/7 was significantly upregulated in ccRCC compared with renal tissues, and the patients with high messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the FABP5/6/7 or low mRNA levels of FABP1 were predicted to have a lower overall survival or disease-free survival. Further analysis by the protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology pathway, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway showed that FABPs were mainly involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pathway. In coexpression analysis, we found that FABP1/5/6/7 was coexpressed with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), PPARA, and LPL. This study implied that FABP1/5/6/7 could act as an important tumor biomarker of ccRCC; the role of FABPs may be related to PPAR or TGF-β pathway.
Insights
Fatty-acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are implicated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). FABP1 is downregulated while FABP5/6/7 are upregulated, impacting patient survival and suggesting potential as ccRCC biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Fatty acids (FAs) are critical in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) development.
- Fatty-acid-binding proteins (FABPs) mediate FA functions, with varying roles in ccRCC tumorigenesis.
- Systematic analysis of FABP expression and prognostic value in ccRCC is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze the expression patterns and prognostic significance of nine FABPs in ccRCC.
- To investigate the potential role of FABPs as biomarkers for ccRCC.
- To explore the molecular pathways associated with FABPs in ccRCC.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multiple public databases: ONCOMINE, The Human Protein Atlas, UALCAN, GEPIA, and cBioPortal.
- Performed bioinformatics analyses including protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses.
- Conducted coexpression analysis to identify related genes and pathways.
Main Results:
- FABP1 expression was significantly downregulated in ccRCC tissues compared to normal renal tissues.
- FABP5, FABP6, and FABP7 expression were significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues.
- High mRNA levels of FABP5/6/7 or low mRNA levels of FABP1 correlated with poorer overall survival and disease-free survival in ccRCC patients.
- FABPs are primarily involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pathway.
- FABP1/5/6/7 showed coexpression with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), PPARA, and LPL.
Conclusions:
- FABP1, FABP5, FABP6, and FABP7 may serve as significant prognostic biomarkers for ccRCC.
- The roles of FABPs in ccRCC are potentially linked to the PPAR and TGF-β signaling pathways.
