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Review
. 2023 Jan 28;24(3):2539.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24032539.

The Role of Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Contemporary Oncology: The Path from a Diagnostic Biomarker to an Anticancer Drug

Joanna Głowska-Ciemny  1 , Marcin Szymański  1 , Agata Kuszerska  1 , Zbyszko Malewski  2 , Constantin von Kaisenberg  3 , Rafał Kocyłowski  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) in Contemporary Oncology: The Path from a Diagnostic Biomarker to an Anticancer Drug

Joanna Głowska-Ciemny et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

This article presents contemporary opinion on the role of alpha-fetoprotein in oncologic diagnostics and treatment. This role stretches far beyond the already known one-that of the biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma. The turn of the 20th and 21st centuries saw a significant increase in knowledge about the fundamental role of AFP in the neoplastic processes, and in the induction of features of malignance and drug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma. The impact of AFP on the creation of an immunosuppressive environment for the developing tumor was identified, giving rise to attempts at immunotherapy. The paper presents current and prospective therapies using AFP and its derivatives and the gene therapy options. We directed our attention to both the benefits and risks associated with the use of AFP in oncologic therapy.

Keywords: AFP; AFPep; GIP; HCC; alpha-fetoprotein; immunotherapy; liver cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
AFP influence on carcinogenesis. (A). Stimulation of proliferation. (B). Blockage of apoptosis. (C). Stimulation of reprogramming, metastasis and multidrug resistance development.
Figure 2
Figure 2
AFP and its hydrophobic pocket between domain I and III. I, II, III—peptide domains of human AFP.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Dendritic cell role in cancer immunosuppression. (A). Under the influence of AFP, dendritic cells (DCs) stimulate the formation of Tregs, and block the activity of CD8+ and NK lymphocytes, which promotes the formation of an immunosuppressive environment and tumor development; (B). In the conditions of a healthy organism, DCs stimulate the activity of CD4+, Cd8+ and NK lymphocytes, which blocks the development of cancer.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) role in cancer immunosuppression. (A). Under the influence of AFP, MDSCs block the activity of T and NK cells, which stimulates tumor development; (B). In a healthy organism, MDSCs activate T and NK lymphocytes, which blocks the development of cancer.
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