Annexin A2 in Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Pancreas

Sep 21, 2026

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a protein central to multiple physiological and pathological cellular processes. Dysregulated ANXA2 expression, whether increased or decreased, is strongly linked to oncogenesis across a range of neoplasms, including cancers of the digestive system. This review consolidates present knowledge of ANXA2’s role in major digestive tract tumors, emphasizing its value as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker within therapeutic protocols.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Simple Summary

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

1.1. Structure and Cellular Localization of Annexin A2

Review Annexin A2 in Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Pancreas Konstantinos Christoﬁdis 1,2, Alexandros Pergaris 2, Rodanthi Fioretzaki 3, Nikolaos Charalampakis 4, Emmanouil I. Kapetanakis 5, *, Nikolaos Kavantzas 1, Dimitrios Schizas 3 and Stratigoula Sakellariou 1 Citation: Christoﬁdis, K.; Pergaris, A.; Fioretzaki, R.; Charalampakis, N.; Kapetanakis, E.I.; Kavantzas, N.; Schizas, D.; Sakellariou, S. Annexin A2 in Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Pancreas. Cancers 2024, 16, 3764. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)[10.3390/cancers16223764](10.3390/cancers16223764) Academic Editor: Alain P. Gobert Received: 18 September 2024 Revised: 6 November 2024 Accepted: 7 November 2024 Published: 8 November 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Cytopathology Laboratory, Laiko General Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; [cchristof@med.uoa.gr](cchristof@med.uoa.gr) (K.C.); [nkavantz@med.uoa.gr](nkavantz@med.uoa.gr) (N.K.); [sakelstrat@med.uoa.gr](sakelstrat@med.uoa.gr) (S.S.) 2 First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; [alexperg@yahoo.com](alexperg@yahoo.com) 3 First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; rodanthiﬁ[oretzaki@gmail.com](oretzaki@gmail.com) (R.F.); [dschizas@med.uoa.gr](dschizas@med.uoa.gr) (D.S.) 4 Department of Medical Oncology, Metaxa Cancer Hospital of Piraeus, 18537 Piraeus, Greece; [nick301178@yahoo.com](nick301178@yahoo.com) 5 Department of Thoracic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece * Correspondence: [emmanouil.kapetanakis@gmail.com](emmanouil.kapetanakis@gmail.com); Tel.: +30-6909200780 Simple Summary: Annexin A2 is a protein that plays a role in many important cell functions, but when its levels are not properly regulated, it can contribute to the development of cancer, particularly in the digestive system. This review looks at the current understanding of how Annexin A2 is involved in cancers of the digestive system, including its potential to help diagnose cancer, predict how a patient will respond to treatment, and even serve as a target for new therapies. Some early studies suggest that blocking this protein or stopping it from interacting with other molecules could slow down cancer growth, prevent the spread of cancer, and make cancer cells more responsive to treatment. By exploring this protein further, scientists hope to develop better tools to diagnose and ﬁght cancer, ultimately beneﬁting society by improving survival rates and quality of life for patients. Abstract: Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a protein that is involved in many physiological and pathological cellular processes. There is compelling evidence that its dysregulated expression, be it up- or downregulation, contributes to the oncogenesis of various neoplasms, including those of the digestive system. The present review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of ANXA2 in the main tumors of the digestive system. The clinical signiﬁcance of ANXA2 is primordial, due to its potential use as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, and as a part of therapeutic protocols. Certain preclinical studies have shown that inhibiting ANXA2 or disrupting its interactions with key molecules can suppress tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis, as well as increase the cancer cells'sensitivity to treatment in various cancers. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex role of ANXA2 in the carcinogenesis

FAQs

What role does Annexin A2 (ANXA2) play in tumors of the digestive system?

ANXA2 is involved in cellular processes, and dysregulated expression contributes to oncogenesis in digestive system cancers. The review describes its participation across major tumor types in this region.

Why is ANXA2 considered clinically important?

ANXA2 has potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and as part of therapeutic protocols. It may help guide clinical decisions based on tumor biology.

How might targeting ANXA2 affect cancer progression and treatment response?

Preclinical findings indicate that inhibiting ANXA2 or disrupting its interactions with key molecules can suppress tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Such disruption may also increase cancer cell sensitivity to treatment.

Sep 21, 2026

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