Annexin A2: The diversity of pathological effects in tumorigenesis and immune response

Abstract Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is widely used as a marker in a variety of tumors. By regulating multiple signal pathways, ANXA2 promotes the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, which can cause tumorigenesis and accelerate thymus degeneration. The elevated ANXA2 heterotetramer facilitates the production of plasmin, which participates in pathophysiologic processes such as tumor cell invasion and metastasis, bleeding diseases, angiogenesis, inducing the expression of inflammatory factors. In addition, the ANXA2 on the cell membrane mediates immune response via its interaction with surface proteins of pathogens, C1q, toll‐like receptor 2, anti‐dsDNA antibodies and immunoglobulins. Nuclear ANXA2 plays a role as part of a primer recognition protein complex that enhances DNA synthesis and cells proliferation by acting on the G1‐S phase of the cell. ANXA2 reduction leads to the inhibition of invasion and metastasis in multiple tumor cells, bleeding complications in acute promyelocytic leukemia, retinal angiogenesis, autoimmunity response and tumor drug resistance. In this review, we provide an update on the pathological effects of ANXA2 in both tumorigenesis and the immune response. We highlight ANXA2 as a critical protein in numerous malignancies and the immune host response.