Kinesin family member C2 (KIFC2)

Kinesin family member C2 (KIFC2) is a member of the kinesin-14 subfamily of microtubule-based motor proteins, with C-terminal motor domains and high specificity for neural tissues. It is primarily involved in microtubule-dependent organelle transport within neurons, playing a potential role in retrograde axonal and dendritic transport of multivesicular bodies. Recent studies have identified a novel role for KIFC2 in cancer biology—specifically, in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer—where KIFC2 stabilizes cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), promoting cell proliferation and contributing to resistance against endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors. KIFC2 can therefore serve as both a potential therapeutic target and a biomarker predicting therapeutic resistance. High expression in tumors is associated with poor prognosis. While it is largely dispensable for normal development in mice, its neural enrichment and involvement in vesicle transport highlight the need for caution if targeting it therapeutically[1][2][3][4][5].

Other names

Kinesin-like protein KIFC2KIFC2

For drugs: Sensitization to antimetabolites and CDK4/6 inhibitors by reducing KIFC2 activity, which destabilizes CDK4 and disrupts cell cycle progression[1][5].