Narrative review of aberrant RBBP6 expression across seven solid tumor types

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Frontiers in Medicine Published May 20, 2026 Medically reviewed May 20, 2026 Study authors: Philemon N. Ubanako, Ekene E. Nweke, Zanele Nsingwane, Bernice Monchusi, Clement Penny DOI ↗ By Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development

Key Takeaway

Consider RBBP6 as a preliminary biomarker in solid tumors, but recognize the evidence remains early and unvalidated.

This is a narrative review examining aberrant RBBP6 expression and function across seven solid tumor types: lung, colorectal, breast, cervical, hepatocellular, esophageal, and ovarian cancers. The authors synthesize existing literature on its prognostic significance, predictive significance, and suitability as a molecular target. The review reports that RBBP6 overexpression is associated with malignant progression and is linked to various clinicopathological parameters. No pooled effect sizes, p-values, or confidence intervals are provided, as this is a qualitative synthesis. The authors do not report specific study populations, sample sizes, or follow-up durations. Key limitations noted include the preliminary nature of the evidence and the lack of reported data on safety, adverse events, or causal relationships. Practice relevance is not explicitly discussed. The review concludes that while RBBP6 shows promise as a biomarker and target, the current evidence is insufficient to guide clinical decisions.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedMay 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Retinoblastoma binding protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 200 kDa E3 ubiquitin ligase that performs several biological functions and plays a role in tumorigenesis. RBBP6 is overexpressed in several types of tumors, including lung, colorectal, breast, cervical, hepatocellular, and esophageal cancers, suggesting its association with malignant progression. Moreover, this increased expression has been associated with clinicopathological parameters in lung, colorectal, cervical, and ovarian cancers. This review captures the molecular functions of RBBP6 and the mechanisms by which aberrant RBBP6 expression and function influence cancer development and therapeutic response. These mechanisms include its ability to interact with E3 ligase substrates, Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), noncoding RNAs, and DNA damage-associated proteins to promote cell proliferation, stemness, cell cycle progression, and metastasis. We also evaluated the prognostic and predictive significance of RBBP6 as a potential cancer biomarker and its suitability as a molecular target in cancer. This is the first review that comprehensively explores the multifaceted molecular mechanisms by which RBBP6 influences cancer progression in several cancer types.