Trefoil factor 3 encoded by the TFF3 gene in humans, belongs to the trefoil factor family that consists of three members named TFF1, TFF2 and TFF3. They are characterized by having at least one copy of the trefoil motif, a 40-amino acid domain that contains three conserved disulfides. TFF-3 is expressed by goblet cells and in the uterus, and has also been shown to express in certain cancers, including colorectal, hepatocellular, and in biliary tumors. It involves in the maintenance and repair of the intestinal mucosa, also promotes the mobility of epithelial cells in healing processes. TFF3 overexpression is crucial for progression in mouse and human hepatocellular carcinogenesis. TFF3 may be useful as a molecular marker for certain types of cancer, but its role, if any, in tumorigenesis is unknown.
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