Fatty acid-binding protein 6 (FABP6)

Fatty acid-binding protein 6 (FABP6) is a cytoplasmic protein primarily found in the ileum, where it facilitates the intracellular transport of bile acids and long-chain fatty acids. It plays a key role in enterohepatic bile acid circulation by mediating the efficient transfer of conjugated bile acids across ileal enterocytes. Beyond its physiological role in lipid and bile acid metabolism, overexpression of FABP6 has been observed in several cancers, including colorectal cancer and glioma, where it contributes to tumor cell invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. Inhibition or knockdown of FABP6 reduces tumor aggressiveness and can augment the effects of chemotherapeutic agents, marking it as a promising, though as yet unexploited, therapeutic target. FABP6 expression levels may serve as biomarkers for prognosis or therapeutic stratification in gastrointestinal cancers. Its principal aliases include gastrotropin, ileal lipid-binding protein, and intestinal bile acid-binding protein.

Other names

GastrotropinIleal lipid-binding proteinIntestinal bile acid-binding proteinI-BABPILBPI-BALBI-BAPILLBPIntestinal 15 kDa proteinIlleal lipid-binding proteinI-15PGT

Direct inhibition of FABP6 impairs tumor cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in glioma models. It enhances sensitivity to temozolomide by promoting apoptosis in glioma cells. It also reduces VEGF secretion and VEGFR expression, thereby attenuating angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment.