COL11A1 encodes a minor fibrillar collagen normally restricted to cartilage and embryonic tissues. In cancer, its aberrant re-expression marks a desmoplastic, invasive tumor microenvironment (TME) and is one of the strongest stromal signatures of aggressive disease.
Expression Pattern & Prognostic Value
-Highly upregulated in tumor stroma, especially cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)
-Common across: pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, ovarian, colorectal, gastric, lung, breast (basal-like)
-High COL11A1 = poor prognosis, advanced stage, metastasis, therapy resistance
-Rarely expressed by normal adult epithelia → excellent specificity as a cancer-stroma marker
More predictive of aggressiveness than many tumor-intrinsic markers
Often co-expressed with COL1A1, COL10A1, FN1, and LOX
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