Olfactomedin 4, a novel marker for the differentiation and progression of gastrointestinal cancers.

Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) is a member of olfactomedin domain-containing protein family. Human OLFM4 is preferentially expressed in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small intestine and colon), prostate, and bone marrow. Recent studies demonstrate that OLFM4 is involved in the establishment and/or development of some types of malignancies, especially in gastrointestinal cancers. Induction of OLFM4 in cancer cells has a novel antiapoptotic action and promotes proliferation of cancer cells. OLFM4 regulates cell cycle and promotes S phase transition in proliferation of cancer cells. In addition, OLFM4 is associated with cancer adhesion and metastasis. In this minireview, we mainly focus on the OLFM4 expression and its biological significances in tumor differentiation and progression as well as the contributions of OLFM4 to tumorigenesis.