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GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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KIF18A
kinesin family member 18A
Chromosome 11 · 11p14.1
NCBI Gene: 81930Ensembl: ENSG00000121621.8HGNC: HGNC:29441UniProt: Q8NI77
82PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub GeneTransporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
rufflekinetochore microtubulemicrotubule depolymerizationmitotic metaphase chromosome alignmentneurodegenerative diseaseAbnormality of the skeletal systemattention deficit hyperactivity disorderhypertension
✦AI Summary

KIF18A is a microtubule-depolymerizing kinesin that regulates chromosome 11 and mitotic spindle dynamics during cell division. 1 KIF18A functions as a molecular motor protein that controls microtubule length by suppressing plus-end dynamics, with its activity regulated by HURP through both activation at low concentrations and inhibition through steric exclusion at higher concentrations. 2 The protein's enzymatic activity depends on ATP hydrolysis and involves translocation across the mitotic spindle to achieve chromosome 11. 3 In normal diploid cells, KIF18A is largely dispensable for accurate chromosome 11; 3 however, it becomes essential for cells with whole-genome doubling or chr11 instability (CIN). 4 KIF18A loss induces notable mitotic errors and impaired viability specifically in these genetically unstable cells, creating a therapeutic vulnerability. 3 Clinically, KIF18A is upregulated in 27 of 33 cancers examined and correlates with poor prognosis in liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, and glioblastoma. 5 Recent pharmacological studies demonstrate that selective KIF18A inhibitors (such as VLS-1272) selectively kill chr11 unstable cancer cells while sparing normal tissue, with robust anti-tumor effects observed in ovarian cancer and triple-negative breast cancer models at well-tolerated doses. 62 Additionally, KIF18A mutations have been identified in infertile patients with oocyte defects. 7

Sources cited
1
HURP regulates KIF18A motility and together they suppress microtubule plus-end dynamics for microtubule length control
PMID: 39516196
2
KIF18A is a vulnerability of chromosomally unstable cells; inhibition of KIF18A ATPase activity prevents translocation and causes chromosome congression defects and mitotic cell death
PMID: 39747049
3
KIF18A is specifically required for viability of whole-genome doubling cells but largely dispensable in normal cells; loss induces mitotic errors in WGD+ cells
PMID: 33505027
4
Aneuploid cancer cells are vulnerable to KIF18A depletion; KIF18A overexpression restores their response to SAC inhibition
PMID: 33505028
5
KIF18A is upregulated in 27 tumors and associated with poor overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval in ACC, KIRC, KIRP, LGG, LIHC, LUAD, and PAAD
PMID: 36830695
6
KIF18A inhibitors selectively kill chromosomally unstable cancer cells enriched in TP53-mutant HGSOC and TNBC with minimal effects on normal bone marrow cells; robust anti-cancer effects observed in mouse models
PMID: 38151625
7
KIF18A has essential roles in spindle bipolarization in human oocytes; mutations identified in infertile patients with oocyte defects
PMID: 39172836
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.52Moderate
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.33Weak
attention deficit hyperactivity disorderOpen Targets
0.32Weak
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.32Weak
obstructive sleep apneaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
osteoarthritisOpen Targets
0.30Weak
sleep apneaOpen Targets
0.30Weak
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.30Weak
major depressive disorderOpen Targets
0.30Weak
femur fractureOpen Targets
0.29Weak
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.28Weak
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.28Weak
goutOpen Targets
0.27Weak
glaucomaOpen Targets
0.25Weak
open-angle glaucomaOpen Targets
0.25Weak
ankylosing spondylitisOpen Targets
0.24Weak
substance-related disorderOpen Targets
0.24Weak
Sleep DisorderOpen Targets
0.24Weak
major depressive episodeOpen Targets
0.23Weak
dysthymic disorderOpen Targets
0.22Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CEP55Protein interaction100%ASPMProtein interaction99%BUB1Protein interaction99%CDC20Protein interaction98%BUB1BProtein interaction98%KIFBPProtein interaction98%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Brain
12%
Lung
7%
Ovary
1%
Heart
1%
Liver
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KIF18ACEP55ASPMBUB1CDC20BUB1BKIFBP
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3LRE · 2.20 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.73LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.52 [0.37–0.73]
RankingsWhere KIF18A stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #5,802of 20,598
    Most Researched82
  • #5,656of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.73
Genes detectedKIF18A
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of KIF18A as a Marker for Prognosis and Immunity.
PMID: 36830695
Biomolecules · 2023
1.00
2
Whole-genome doubling confers unique genetic vulnerabilities on tumour cells.
PMID: 33505027
Nature · 2021
0.90
3
Aneuploidy renders cancer cells vulnerable to mitotic checkpoint inhibition.
PMID: 33505028
Nature · 2021
0.80
4
Small-molecule inhibition of kinesin KIF18A reveals a mitotic vulnerability enriched in chromosomally unstable cancers.
PMID: 38151625
Nat Cancer · 2024
0.70
5
Mechanisms of minor pole-mediated spindle bipolarization in human oocytes.
PMID: 39172836
Science · 2024
0.60