Research progress on the structure, function, and use of angiogenin in malignant tumours

Angiogenin (ANG) is a specialised secreted ribonuclease, also known as RNase5, that is widely expressed in vertebrates. ANG dysregulation is closely associated with the development of breast, nasopharyngeal, and lung cancers. In recent years, studies have found that ANG not only induces neovascularisation by activating endothelial cells, but also plays a regulatory role in the plasticity of cancer cells. Cellular plasticity plays pivotal roles in cancer initiation, progression, migration, therapeutic resistance, and relapse. Therefore, it is a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and therapy. This review summarises the current knowledge regarding the roles and clinical applications of ANG in cancer development and progression.