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GeneE
26 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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TNC
tenascin C
Chromosome 9 · 9q33.1
NCBI Gene: 3371Ensembl: ENSG00000041982.17HGNC: HGNC:5318UniProt: B4E1W8
331PubMed Papers
21Diseases
4Drugs
5Pathogenic Variants
RESEARCH IMPACT
Trending
CLINICAL
Clinical TrialsOMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
GO:0005615extracellular regionextracellular matrixfocal adhesionautosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing lossdeafnessosteoarthritis, hipAbnormality of the skeletal system
✦AI Summary

Tenascin-C (TNC) is a hexameric, multimodular extracellular matrix glycoprotein with diverse roles in development and pathology 1. During embryonic development, TNC guides neuronal migration and axon outgrowth and promotes synaptic plasticity and neuronal regeneration through integrin binding (α8β1, α9β1, αVβ3, αVβ6) 2. In adults, TNC expression is restricted but becomes aberrantly upregulated during wound healing, chr9 inflammation, and cancer 1. In ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation-induced TNC secretion by fibroblasts suppresses extracellular matrix adhesion forces and activates Hippo signaling to promote entheseal new bone formation 3. TNC similarly promotes kidney fibrosis through Twist1-mediated fibroblast activation via the Prrx1/TNC axis, with Twist1 inhibition reducing fibrotic pathology 4. In cancer, TNC is strongly overexpressed in tumor stroma and represents a promising therapeutic target; multiple TNC-targeting delivery vectors and conjugate agents including antibody-drug conjugates and radionuclide conjugates are under clinical investigation 5. TNC also plays dual pro- and anti-atherosclerotic roles depending on location, with isoform TNC-C being a promising atherosclerosis-targeted drug delivery vector 6. Overall, pathological TNC overexpression across multiple disease contexts makes it an attractive biomarker and therapeutic target 2.

Sources cited
1
TNC is a hexameric multimodular ECM protein with alternative splicing; highly expressed in embryonic tissues but restricted in adults; expressed de novo in wound healing, chronic inflammation, and cancer
PMID: 27875272
2
TNC is aberrantly upregulated in ankylosing spondylitis; TNC suppresses ECM adhesion forces and activates Hippo/YAP signaling to promote entheseal new bone formation and chondrogenic differentiation
PMID: 33858850
3
Twist1 drives kidney fibroblast activation via downstream Prrx1 and TNC expression; fibroblast-specific Twist1 deletion reduces TNC, extracellular matrix deposition, and kidney inflammation in fibrosis models
PMID: 39181396
4
TNC is strongly overexpressed in tumor ECM but virtually undetectable in normal tissues; multiple TNC-targeting vectors and conjugate agents are in preclinical and clinical trials for cancer therapy
PMID: 38081519
5
TNC-C isoform is strongly overexpressed in atherosclerotic plaques; TNC-C represents a promising delivery vector target for atherosclerosis-targeted drug development
PMID: 38164188
6
TNC is a multimodular ECM protein with conserved amino acid sequence; plays essential roles in cell proliferation and migration; higher expression in inflammation, wound healing, cancer, and pathological conditions including tissue injuries and neuronal disorders
PMID: 37021423
Disease Associationsⓘ21
autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing lossOpen Targets
0.62Moderate
deafnessOpen Targets
0.55Moderate
osteoarthritis, hipOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.46Moderate
Dupuytren ContractureOpen Targets
0.45Moderate
total hip arthroplastyOpen Targets
0.44Moderate
osteoarthritis, kneeOpen Targets
0.40Weak
medical procedureOpen Targets
0.39Weak
osteoarthritisOpen Targets
0.39Weak
vein disorderOpen Targets
0.37Weak
lymphatic system diseaseOpen Targets
0.35Weak
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.35Weak
insomniaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
asthmaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
total joint arthroplastyOpen Targets
0.32Weak
gliomaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
respiratory system diseaseOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Varicose veinsOpen Targets
0.30Weak
tooth diseaseOpen Targets
0.29Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.28Weak
Deafness, autosomal dominant, 56UniProt
Pathogenic Variants5
NM_002160.4(TNC):c.323G>A (p.Arg108His)Likely pathogenic
Autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss 56|TNC-related disorder
★☆☆☆2024→ Residue 108
NM_002160.4(TNC):c.3191C>T (p.Pro1064Leu)Likely pathogenic
not provided
★☆☆☆2022→ Residue 1064
NM_002160.4(TNC):c.4172A>G (p.Gln1391Arg)Likely pathogenic
not provided
★☆☆☆2016→ Residue 1391
NM_002160.4(TNC):c.5247A>T (p.Gly1749=)Pathogenic
Autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss 56
☆☆☆☆2023→ Residue 1749
NM_002160.4(TNC):c.5386A>T (p.Thr1796Ser)Pathogenic
Autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss 56
☆☆☆☆2013→ Residue 1796
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets4
81C6 131IUNKNOWN
Tenascin binding agent
brain cancer
F16IL2Phase I/II
Tenascin other
non-small cell lung carcinoma
F16SIP 131IPhase I/II
Tenascin binding agent
cancer
TENATUMOMABPhase III
Tenascin other
glioma
Related Genes
ITGB3Protein interaction100%ITGB6Protein interaction100%ITGB1Protein interaction100%FN1Protein interaction100%ITGB5Protein interaction100%ITGA3Protein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Heart
47%
Brain
45%
Liver
12%
Bone Marrow
9%
Ovary
3%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TNCITGB3ITGB6ITGB1FN1ITGB5ITGA3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5R61 · 1.38 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.61LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.52 [0.44–0.61]
RankingsWhere TNC stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #989of 20,598
    Most Researched331 · top 5%
  • #3,472of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants5
  • #4,209of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.61 · top quartile
Genes detectedTNC
Sources retrieved26 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
26▼
1
Tenascin-C-mediated suppression of extracellular matrix adhesion force promotes entheseal new bone formation through activation of Hippo signalling in ankylosing spondylitis.
PMID: 33858850
Ann Rheum Dis · 2021
1.00
2
Endometrial preparation for frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
PMID: 33829375
J Assist Reprod Genet · 2021
0.90
3
Transcription factor Twist1 drives fibroblast activation to promote kidney fibrosis via signaling proteins Prrx1/TNC.
PMID: 39181396
Kidney Int · 2024
0.80
4
Testosterone Delays Bone Microstructural Destruction via Osteoblast-Androgen Receptor-Mediated Upregulation of Tenascin-C.
PMID: 40444453
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2025
0.72
5
The role of TNC in atherosclerosis and drug development opportunities.
PMID: 38164188
Int J Biol Sci · 2024
0.70