# Beyond Ion Channels: Emerging Roles of FGF12 in Cellular Regulation and Cancer Progression

**Authors:** Zechao Huang, Xuesen Dong

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/cells15040370 · 2026-02-19

## TL;DR

This paper reviews new roles of FGF12 beyond ion channels, linking it to cancer progression and potential therapeutic targeting.

## Contribution

The paper highlights novel non-canonical functions of FGF12 in cancer progression and cellular regulation.

## Key findings

- FGF12 upregulation is associated with tumor survival and therapeutic resistance.
- FGF12 contributes to poor prognosis through signaling pathways independent of ion channels.
- FGF12's emerging roles suggest potential as a therapeutic target in cancer.

## Abstract

Fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12), a member of the intracellular fibroblast growth factor homologous factor (iFGF) subfamily, has been widely studied for its role in the modulation of voltage-gated ion channels. However, recent studies suggest that FGF12 possesses various cellular functions beyond ion channel regulation, particularly in cancer progression. Accumulating evidence indicates that the upregulation of FGF12 is associated with tumor survival, therapeutic resistance, and poor prognosis through signaling pathways independent of its canonical ion channel interactions. This review summarizes the current understanding of FGF12’s non-canonical functions, highlights its emerging roles in cellular regulation, and discusses its potential mechanism in oncogenic progression. Understanding these novel functions may provide a new aspect for therapeutic targeting of FGF12 in malignancies.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** FGF12 (fibroblast growth factor 12) [NCBI Gene 2257]

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** NEAT1 (nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1) [NCBI Gene 283131] {aka LINC00084, NCRNA00084, TP53LC15, TncRNA, VINC}, NFE2L2 (NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor 2) [NCBI Gene 4780] {aka IMDDHH, NRF2, Nrf-2}, PRKAA1 (protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 5562] {aka AMPK, AMPK alpha 1, AMPKa1}, SCN8A (sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 8) [NCBI Gene 6334] {aka BFIS5, CERIII, CIAT, DEE13, EIEE13, MED}, FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2260] {aka BFGFR, CD331, CEK, ECCL, FGFBR, FGFR-1}, MAPK1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 5594] {aka ERK, ERK-2, ERK2, ERT1, MAPK2, NS13}, TCOF1 (treacle ribosome biogenesis factor 1) [NCBI Gene 6949] {aka MFD1, TCS, TCS1, treacle}, MAPK14 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 14) [NCBI Gene 1432] {aka CSBP, CSBP1, CSBP2, CSPB1, EXIP, Mxi2}, ATP1A1 (ATPase Na+/K+ transporting subunit alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 476] {aka CMT2DD, HOMGSMR2}, FGF13 (fibroblast growth factor 13) [NCBI Gene 2258] {aka DEE90, FGF-13, FGF2, FHF-2, FHF2, LINC00889}, FGF12 (fibroblast growth factor 12) [NCBI Gene 2257] {aka DEE47, EIEE47, FGF12B, FHF1}, MAPK8IP2 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 interacting protein 2) [NCBI Gene 23542] {aka IB-2, IB2, JIP2, PRKM8IPL}, NOLC1 (nucleolar and coiled-body phosphoprotein 1) [NCBI Gene 9221] {aka NOPP130, NOPP140, NS5ATP13, P130, Srp40}, FGF11 (fibroblast growth factor 11) [NCBI Gene 2256] {aka FGF-11, FHF-3, FHF3}, IKBKG (inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase regulatory subunit gamma) [NCBI Gene 8517] {aka AMCBX1, EDAID1, FIP-3, FIP3, Fip3p, IKK-gamma}, MALAT1 (metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) [NCBI Gene 378938] {aka HCN, LINC00047, NCRNA00047, NEAT2, PRO2853, miPEP-52}, SCN2A (sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2) [NCBI Gene 6326] {aka BFIC3, BFIS3, BFNIS, DEE11, EA9, EIEE11}, MAP2K7 (mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7) [NCBI Gene 5609] {aka JNKK2, MAPKK7, MEK, MEK 7, MKK7, PRKMK7}, YBX1 (Y-box binding protein 1) [NCBI Gene 4904] {aka BP-8, CBF-A, CSDA2, CSDB, DBPB, EFI-A}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, FGF14 (fibroblast growth factor 14) [NCBI Gene 2259] {aka FGF-14, FHF-4, FHF4, NYS4, SCA27, SCA27A}, LGALS1 (galectin 1) [NCBI Gene 3956] {aka GAL1, GBP}
- **Diseases:** toxicity (MESH:D064420), metastasis (MESH:D009362), bladder cancer (MESH:D001749), DLBCL (MESH:D016403), LG-ESS (MESH:D036821), endometrial stromal sarcoma (MESH:D018203), ESCC (MESH:D000077277), Pan-Cancer (MESH:D009369), lung tumor (MESH:D008175), glioma (MESH:D005910), neuroendocrine prostate cancer (MESH:D011471), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), injury to (MESH:D014947), non-small cell lung cancer (MESH:D002289), renal cancer (MESH:D007680), carcinogenesis (MESH:D063646), gastric cancer (MESH:D013274)
- **Chemicals:** sodium (MESH:D012964), tetrodotoxin (MESH:D013779)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]
- **Mutations:** rs1464938

## Figures

1 figure with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12939531/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12939531