Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4) in cancer - Dual roles in tumorigenesis and therapeutic potential: A review
Jiang Y., Wang L., Li Y., Liu J., Lv J., Xu P.
Narrative Review, published in Biomol Biomed (2025) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- Biomol Biomed (2025)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 40891635
- PMCID
- PMC12505536
- DOI
- 10.17305/bb.2025.13047
- Citations
- 1
Abstract (original English)
Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 (sFRP4), the largest member of the Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein (sFRP) family, contains two functional domains: a cysteine-rich domain (CRD) homologous to the Wnt-binding region of Frizzled (FZD) receptors and a netrin-like (NTR) domain structurally similar to axonal guidance proteins. By modulating the Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway, sFRP4 regulates essential cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the dualistic roles of sFRP4 in cancer, highlighting its tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting functions, underlying molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science databases (1996-2025) using predefined keywords, and from 277 identified publications, 47 studies were included that comprised clinical data, in vitro cell models, and in vivo experimental systems. Findings demonstrate that sFRP4 frequently acts as a tumor suppressor by sequestering Wnt ligands, suppressing cancer stem cell-like properties, reprogramming tumor metabolism, inhibiting angiogenesis, and enhancing chemosensitivity. Its downregulation is often driven by promoter hypermethylation or repression mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs). Conversely, in gastrointestinal and prostate canc
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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