CTRP6 in Cancer: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Potential

C1q/TNF-related protein 6 (CTRP6) is emerging as a critical regulator of cancer biology with direct implications for clinical outcomes. Across a wide spectrum of malignancies, CTRP6 plays a central role in coordinating key oncogenic processes and linking metabolic, inflammatory, and signaling pathways that drive tumor progression. While CTRP6 generally promotes oncogenic behavior in cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma, conflicting findings have been reported in gastric cancer and oral or head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, where its tumor-promoting versus tumor-suppressive roles remain unresolved. CTRP6 has been shown to modulate fundamental processes including angiogenesis, ferroptosis, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and inflammation. These effects are primarily mediated through activation of the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, which are central to tumor growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Beyond its mechanistic roles, CTRP6 demonstrates potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, with altered expression patterns linked to cancer initiation, progression, and patient survival. Inhibition of CTRP6 in preclinical models enhances ferroptotic cell death and suppresses tumor progression, highlighting its promise as a therapeutic target. By consolidating current evidence from multiple cancer models, this review provides a comprehensive overview of CTRP6's contributions to oncogenesis and underscores its dual potential as both a biomarker and a therapeutic target. Advancing a deeper understanding of CTRP6 in specific tumor contexts will be critical for unlocking its clinical utility and may open new opportunities to improve diagnosis, optimize therapeutic strategies, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes.