| COL3A1 - Collagen Type III Alpha 1 Chain / Collagen III
Abbreviation: COL3A1, Collagen III, Type III Collagen
Type: Extracellular matrix structural protein / fibrillar collagen
Function: Collagen III is a fibrillar extracellular-matrix protein composed primarily of COL3A1 chains. It is abundant in connective tissues and commonly associates with type I collagen. Collagen III contributes to tissue tensile strength, extracellular-matrix organization, wound healing, fibrosis, cell adhesion, and mechanical signaling through receptors including integrins and discoidin domain receptors.
Cancer: ↑ Frequently increased in tumor-associated extracellular matrix and desmoplastic stroma. Elevated COL3A1/collagen III can reflect cancer-associated fibroblast activation and extracellular-matrix remodeling and may promote tumor-cell adhesion, migration, invasion, metastatic dissemination, and altered mechanotransduction. High COL3A1 expression is associated with aggressive disease and poor prognosis in several cancers, although effects depend on tumor type and matrix organization.
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