UCP2
Overview
UCP2 encodes Uncoupling Protein 2, a mitochondrial inner membrane protein that dissipates the proton gradient and reduces reactive oxygen species production. In cancer biology, UCP2 expression has been linked to stem-cell phenotypes, metabolic reprogramming, and resistance to apoptosis. In the context of Ewing sarcoma research, high UCP2 expression marks the stem-cell phenotype of human embryonic mesenchymal stem cells (heMSCs), which are proposed as the Ewing sarcoma cell of origin.
Alterations observed in the corpus
- High expression marks the stem-cell phenotype of heMSCs (human embryonic mesenchymal stem cells) and is retained in experimental EWS::FLI1-induced Ewing sarcoma tumors; proposed as a marker of the undifferentiated mesenchymal state associated with Ewing sarcoma initiation PMID:25186949
Cancer types (linked)
- Ewing sarcoma: UCP2 high expression associated with the heMSC cell-of-origin phenotype retained in experimental tumors PMID:25186949
Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity
- Co-expressed with RNF2/RING1B and other heMSC stem-cell markers in experimental Ewing tumors PMID:25186949
Therapeutic relevance
- No direct therapeutic targeting reported in the corpus.
Open questions
- Whether UCP2 overexpression is prognostic or could serve as a diagnostic marker in primary Ewing sarcoma tumors remains to be validated.
Sources
This page was processed by entity-page-writer on 2026-05-11.