Basic Properties and Role

• Liver-secreted glycoprotein from fibrinogen family
• Structurally similar to fibrinogen but lacks clotting function
• Primarily involved in liver recovery and metabolism
• Recently identified as important in cancer immunity

Metabolic and Liver Functions

• Supports liver healing and regeneration
• Production increases during liver injury
• Involved in managing fats and insulin resistance
• Linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome

Immune System Interaction

• Binds to LAG-3 (Lymphocyte Activation Gene-3) receptor
• Acts as immune checkpoint by limiting T-cell activity
• Helps maintain immune tolerance
• Functions similarly to PD-1/PD-L1 pathway

Cancer Treatment Potential

• High levels found in lung, liver, and colorectal cancers
• Promising target for tumors resistant to standard treatments
• Can be combined with other immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Clinical trials ongoing for FGL1-targeted therapies

Research Challenges

• Need to balance metabolic functions with cancer treatment
• Concerns about liver function impact during treatment
• Requires better biomarker identification
• Important to identify suitable patient populations
• Research continuing into treatment optimization