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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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FABP6
fatty acid binding protein 6
Chromosome 5 · 5q33.3
NCBI Gene: 2172Ensembl: ENSG00000170231.17HGNC: HGNC:3561UniProt: P51161
38PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
fatty acid bindingnucleuscytosolfatty acid transportAbnormality of the skeletal systemchronic laryngitiscolorectal carcinomaneoplasm
✦AI Summary

FABP6 (fatty acid-binding protein 6) is a 14-15 kDa intracellular lipid chaperone that binds and transports fatty acids and bile acids, primarily expressed in intestinal epithelium, ovaries, and adrenal tissue 1. Beyond its classical role in bile acid homeostasis, FABP6 functions in lipid metabolism and immune regulation 1. Mechanistically, FABP6 regulates metabolic pathways and gene expression critical for cancer progression 1. In cancer cells, FABP6 downregulates MHC-I molecule expression to reduce CD8+ T cell infiltration, fostering immunosuppressive microenvironments 1. Conversely, FABP6 knockdown increases MHC class I expression and promotes immune-related chemokine secretion, enhancing tumor immunogenicity and CD8+ T cell recruitment 2. FABP6 inhibition also reduces tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis in glioblastoma through decreased MMP-2 and VEGF expression 3. Clinically, FABP6 expression is elevated in multiple cancers including colorectal cancer, glioblastoma, and clear cell renal carcinoma 435. Elevated serum FABP6 levels serve as an independent risk factor and diagnostic biomarker for colorectal cancer, with 83.7% sensitivity 4. Beyond cancer, FABP6 expression in ovarian granulosa cells is essential for fertility and ovulatory response 6. FABP6 represents a potential therapeutic target for combination cancer treatments and immunotherapy sensitization.

Sources cited
1
FABP6 is a 14-15 kDa intracellular lipid chaperone; downregulates MHC-I to suppress CD8+ T cells; involved in cancer progression through metabolic reprogramming and immune regulation
PMID: 40717587
2
FABP6 knockdown increases MHC class I expression and promotes immune chemokine secretion; negatively correlates with immune infiltration; enhances tumor immunogenicity and CD8+ T cell recruitment in colorectal cancer
PMID: 36033394
3
FABP6 inhibition reduces glioma cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis through decreased MMP-2 and VEGF; FABP6 knockdown combined with temozolomide attenuates tumor progression in orthotopic xenograft models
PMID: 34685761
4
FABP6 is elevated in colorectal cancer tissues and serum; independent risk factor for CRC; diagnostic biomarker with 83.7% sensitivity for distinguishing CRC from normal controls
PMID: 31651326
5
FABP6 enhancer variants are oncogenic in clear cell renal carcinoma; FABP6 contributes to lipid droplet formation and epigenetic regulation
PMID: 40391655
6
FABP6 is expressed in ovarian granulosa and luteal cells; essential for fertility and ovulatory response to gonadotropin stimulation
PMID: 25754072
7
FABP6 gene structure and tissue distribution characterized; conserved synteny between zebrafish chromosome 21 and human chromosome 5; expressed in intestine, ovary, adrenal tissue, liver, heart, and kidney
PMID: 18492067
8
FABP6 identified among proteins differentially enriched by SGLT2 inhibitors; promotes autophagy, enhances mitochondrial health, and ATP production in heart failure
PMID: 39217550
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.36Weak
chronic laryngitisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Abnormal erythrocyte morphologyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Hyperlipoproteinemia type 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
familial hypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hypertriglyceridemia 2Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Combined hyperlipidemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
glycogen storage disease VIOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
familial apolipoprotein C-II deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
homozygous familial hypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
colorectal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis due to citrin deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
NR5A2Protein interaction100%NR1I2Protein interaction95%NR1H3Protein interaction94%SLC10A2Protein interaction93%ABCB11Protein interaction92%NR1H4Protein interaction88%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Lung
22%
Heart
10%
Bone Marrow
2%
Ovary
2%
Liver
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
FABP6NR5A2NR1I2NR1H3SLC10A2ABCB11NR1H4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5L8I · 1.88 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.37LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.81 [0.50–1.37]
RankingsWhere FABP6 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #10,469of 20,598
    Most Researched38
  • #14,302of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.37
Genes detectedFABP6
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Fatty acid-binding proteins in cancers.
PMID: 40717587
Int J Surg · 2025
1.00
2
The fatty acid binding protein 6 gene (Fabp6) is expressed in murine granulosa cells and is involved in ovulatory response to superstimulation.
PMID: 25754072
J Reprod Dev · 2015
0.90
3
Inhibition of FABP6 Reduces Tumor Cell Invasion and Angiogenesis through the Decrease in MMP-2 and VEGF in Human Glioblastoma Cells.
PMID: 34685761
Cells · 2021
0.80
4
Spatio-temporal distribution of fatty acid-binding protein 6 (fabp6) gene transcripts in the developing and adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).
PMID: 18492067
FEBS J · 2008
0.70
5
Reaffirmation of Mechanistic Proteomic Signatures Accompanying SGLT2 Inhibition in Patients With Heart Failure: A Validation Cohort of the EMPEROR Program.
PMID: 39217550
J Am Coll Cardiol · 2024
0.60