For the association shown in Figure 2, the nearest coding sequence to rs9315220 is STARD13, a.k.a. DLC2 (deleted in liver cancer 2). All genes of this cluster but one (OAS1), including MX1, IFI44, IFIT2, IFIT3, IFI44L, and IFIT1, are known to be induced by IFNβ in humans[46]. IFNβ, besides its role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), is anti-tumorigenic [47-50]. Similarly, many genes from this cluster also have established or putative roles in cancer; IFI44 was part of a small set of genes independently validated for recurrence status in non-small cell lung carcinoma [37], is anti-proliferative in melanoma cell lines [38], and is upregulated in squamous cell carcinoma [39]. IFIT2 inhibits migration and proliferation in squamous cell carcinoma cultures [41]. IFIT1 was one of a small group of genes that predict carcinogenesis after training on DNA-damage response [40], while STARD13 is upregulated in human lymphocytes following gamma-irradiation [51], suggesting that IFIT1 may be a downstream target of STARD13 following DNA damage.
