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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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CCN4
cellular communication network factor 4
Chromosome 8 · 8q24.22
NCBI Gene: 8840Ensembl: ENSG00000104415.14HGNC: HGNC:12769UniProt: O95388
136PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Oncogene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of osteoblast differentiationpositive regulation of inflammatory responseGO:0005615regulation of cytokine productionhypothyroidismrheumatoid arthritismyxedemaThyrotoxicosis
✦AI Summary

CCN4 (also known as WISP1, cellular communication network factor 4) is a secreted matricellular cysteine-rich protein encoded on chromosome 8 that functions as a key regulator of cell-cell communication and tissue remodeling 1. As a downstream effector in Wnt/β-catenin signaling, CCN4 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and survival through integrin-dependent pathways, particularly via αvβ5 and α6β1 integrins 23. CCN4 activates PI3K/Akt signaling and NF-κB-mediated inflammatory responses, inducing expression of pro-inflammatory mediators including IL-6 and VCAM-1 32. In tissue regeneration, CCN4 controls muscle stem cell expansion through Akt signaling, and its loss during aging contributes to impaired skeletal muscle regeneration 4. Pathologically, aberrant CCN4 upregulation drives fibrosis progression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and osteoarthritis-associated cartilage degeneration 56. CCN4 also promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometriosis via Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation 7. Given its broad involvement in cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and inflammatory responses, CCN4 has emerged as both a disease biomarker and therapeutic target across cancer, fibrosis, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders 1.

Sources cited
1
CCN4 is a matricellular protein involved in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, wound healing, and apoptosis; dysregulation contributes to cancer, fibrosis, and inflammatory disorders
PMID: 38937782
2
CCN4 induces VCAM-1 expression through αvβ5 and α6β1 integrin signaling, Syk, PKCδ, JNK, and AP-1 pathways in synovial fibroblasts
PMID: 23313051
3
CCN4 stimulates IL-6 production via αvβ5 integrin, PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB signaling in osteoarthritis synovial fibroblasts
PMID: 23343403
4
WISP1 (CCN4) controls muscle stem cell expansion and asymmetric commitment through Akt signaling; loss during aging impairs skeletal muscle regeneration
PMID: 30686765
5
WISP1/CCN4 is profibrotic, downstream of TGF-β, and induces fibroblast proliferation and IL-6/CCL2 production in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
PMID: 39682753
6
CCN4 enhances migration of human primary osteoarthritic chondrocytes; upregulated CCN4 in OA cartilage may direct chondrocytes toward defects and orchestrate repair
PMID: 36546648
7
CCN4 is a downstream target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and is upregulated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometriosis via IL-33/ST2 pathway
PMID: 38858740
Disease Associationsⓘ20
hypothyroidismOpen Targets
0.49Moderate
rheumatoid arthritisOpen Targets
0.43Moderate
myxedemaOpen Targets
0.42Moderate
ThyrotoxicosisOpen Targets
0.38Weak
hyperthyroidismOpen Targets
0.33Weak
autoimmune diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
respiratory system diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
hypotensionOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Graves diseaseOpen Targets
0.17Weak
ovarian neoplasmOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Back painOpen Targets
0.14Weak
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.10Weak
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.10Weak
cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
NDRG1Protein interaction82%WNT1Protein interaction81%BGNProtein interaction77%CCN5Shared pathway17%CCN6Shared pathway13%CCN2Shared pathway13%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Lung
74%
Heart
62%
Liver
25%
Brain
3%
Bone Marrow
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CCN4NDRG1WNT1BGNCCN5CCN6CCN2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt O95388
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.15LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.85 [0.63–1.15]
RankingsWhere CCN4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,401of 20,598
    Most Researched136 · top quartile
  • #11,997of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.15
Genes detectedCCN4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Aging Disrupts Muscle Stem Cell Function by Impairing Matricellular WISP1 Secretion from Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors.
PMID: 30686765
Cell Stem Cell · 2019
1.00
2
The IL-33-ST2 axis plays a vital role in endometriosis via promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition by phosphorylating β-catenin.
PMID: 38858740
Cell Commun Signal · 2024
0.90
3
An overview of CCN4 (WISP1) role in human diseases.
PMID: 38937782
J Transl Med · 2024
0.80
4
CCN4/WISP1 Promotes Migration of Human Primary Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes.
PMID: 36546648
Cartilage · 2023
0.70
5
CCN4 induces vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression in human synovial fibroblasts and promotes monocyte adhesion.
PMID: 23313051
Biochim Biophys Acta · 2013
0.60