Uncovering novel mechanisms of chitinase-3-like protein 1 in driving inflammation-associated cancers

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Liam

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a secreted glycoprotein induced during inflammation and regulated by multiple factors across chronic inflammatory diseases. Its upregulation in malignant tumors highlights chronic inflammation as a driver of cancer initiation and progression. CHI3L1 exacerbates oxidative DNA damage, promotes a cancerous phenotype, shapes pro-tumor inflammatory and angiogenic environments, suppresses immune responses, and enhances tumor cell growth, invasion, and migration. It also advances progression and metastasis via transmembrane receptor signaling, and the review summarizes related pathways and CHI3L1-targeting anti-inflammatory therapies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Inflammation as a driver of disease and tumor development

Tumor-associated inflammation as a hallmark of progression

CHI3L1 as a marker and promoter of chronic inflammation and cancer

Fan et al. Cancer Cell International (2024) 24:268 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-024-03425-y](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-024-03425-y) Cancer Cell International REVIEW Open Access Uncovering novel mechanisms of chitinase- 3-like protein 1 in driving inflammationassociated cancers Yan Fan 1,2†, Yuan Meng 1,2†, Xingwei Hu 1,2, Jianhua Liu 1,2 and Xiaosong Qin 1,2* Abstract Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a secreted glycoprotein that is induced and regulated by multiple factors during inflammation in enteritis, pneumonia, asthma, arthritis, and other diseases. It is associated with the deterioration of the inflammatory environment in tissues with chronic inflammation caused by microbial infection or autoimmune diseases. The expression of CHI3L1 expression is upregulated in several malignant tumors, underscoring the crucial role of chronic inflammation in the initiation and progression of cancer. While the precise mechanism connecting inflammation and cancer is unclear, the involvement of CHI3L1 is involved in chronic inflammation, suggesting its role as a contributing factor to in the link between inflammation and cancer. CHI3L1 can aggravate DNA oxidative damage, induce the cancerous phenotype, promote the development of a tumor inflammatory environment and angiogenesis, inhibit immune cells, and promote cancer cell growth, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, it participates in the initiation of cancer progression and metastasis by binding with transmembrane receptors to mediate intracellular signal transduction. Based on the current research on CHI3L1, we explore introduce the receptors that interact with CHI3L1 along with the signaling pathways that may be triggered during chronic inflammation to enhance tumorigenesis and progression. In the last section of the article, we provide a brief overview of anti-inflammatory therapies that target CHI3L1 . Keywords Chitinase-3-like protein 1, Chronic inflammation, Tumor progression, Tumor-associated inflammation †Yan Fan, Yuan Meng authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors. *Correspondence: Xiaosong Qin [qinxs@sj-hospital.org](qinxs@sj-hospital.org) 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, China 2Liaoning Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China Introduction Inflammation is a vital defense mechanism triggered in response to injuries or harmful stimuli, and plays a key role in facilitating the repair of damaged tissues and restoring the body’s internal environment of the body to a state of equilibrium [1]. When inflammatory factors persist, they can lead to various diseases, including conditions marked by excessive stress responses, tissue damage, angiogenesis, fibrosis, and steatosis, and may even induce cancer development at the site of inflammation site [2, 3]. Currently, tumor-associated inflammation is recognized as the seventh major aspect for tumor progression following enhanced proliferative potential, resistance to growth inhibition, evasion of programmed cell © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyrigh

FAQs

What is CHI3L1 and why is it important in chronic inflammation?

CHI3L1 is a secreted glycoprotein induced and regulated by multiple factors during inflammation. It is linked to deterioration of the tissue inflammatory environment and serves as a marker associated with chronic inflammation.

How does CHI3L1 contribute to cancer progression and metastasis?

CHI3L1 aggravates oxidative DNA damage, promotes a cancerous phenotype, supports a tumor inflammatory environment and angiogenesis, and can inhibit immune cells. It also promotes growth, invasion, and migration, and can influence progression and metastasis through receptor-mediated intracellular signaling.

Which therapeutic strategies are discussed for targeting CHI3L1?

The review provides an overview of anti-inflammatory therapies that target CHI3L1, based on the current research summarized in the article.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Liam