Updated Functional Roles of NAMPT in Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Niches

Abstract

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is notable for its regulatory roles in tumor development and progression. Emerging evidence regarding NAMPT somatic mutations in cancer patients, NAMPT expressional signatures in normal tissues and cancers, and the prognostic significance of NAMPT in many cancer types has attracted attention, and NAMPT is considered a potential biomarker of cancer. Recent discoveries have demonstrated the indirect association and direct biological functions of NAMPT in modulating cancer metastasis, proliferation, angiogenesis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance to anticancer drugs. These findings warrant further investigation of the underlying mechanisms to provide knowledge for developing novel cancer therapeutics. In this review article, we explore recent research developments involving the oncogenic activities of NAMPT by summarizing current knowledge regarding NAMPT somatic mutations, clinical trials, transcriptome data, and clinical information and discoveries related to the NAMPT‐induced signaling pathway in modulating hallmarks of cancer. Furthermore, the comprehensive representation of NAMPT RNA expression in a pancancer panel as well as in specific normal cell types at single‐cell level are demonstrated. The results suggest potential sites and cell types that could facilitate NAMPT‐related tumorigenesis. With this review, we aim to shed light on the regulatory roles of NAMPT in tumor development and progression, and provide information to guide future research directions in this field.