Clinical Significance
FAS has been investigated as a possible oncogene. FAS is up-regulated in breast cancers and as well as being an indicator of poor prognosis may also be worthwhile as a chemotherapeutic target. FAS may also be involved in the production of an endogenous ligand for the nuclear receptor PPARalpha, the target of the fibrate drugs for hyperlipidemia, and is being investigated as a possible drug target for treating the metabolic syndrome.
In some cancer cell lines, this protein has been found to be fused with estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha), in which the N-terminus of FAS is fused in-frame with the C-terminus of ER-alpha.
An association with uterine leiomyomata has been reported.
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