CXCL12 Gene

HGNC Family	Endogenous ligands, Chemokine ligands (CCL)
Name	chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12
Description	This antimicrobial gene encodes a stromal cell-derived alpha chemokine member of the intercrine family. The encoded protein functions as the ligand for the G-protein coupled receptor, chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4, and plays a role in many diverse cellular functions, including embryogenesis, immune surveillance, inflammation response, tissue homeostasis, and tumor growth and metastasis. Mutations in this gene are associated with resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infections. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2014]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n CXCL12 (also known as stromal‐derived factor 1 or SDF‐1) is a multifunctional chemokine that orchestrates an array of critical biological processes. In the tumor microenvironment, CXCL12 is secreted by carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts, where it not only directly stimulates cancer cell proliferation via CXCR4 signaling but also promotes angiogenesis by recruiting endothelial progenitor cells and other proangiogenic cell types, thereby facilitating tumor growth and metastasis."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "1", "end_ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Furthermore, CXCL12 has been implicated in tumor immune evasion by establishing gradients that prevent T‐cell infiltration into neoplastic lesions and by contributing to the metastatic homing of cancer stem cells, as seen in models of pancreatic and prostate cancers."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}, {"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Beyond its role in oncology, CXCL12 is central to the homeostatic maintenance of stem cell niches. In the bone marrow, its expression by various stromal cell populations is essential for the retention, quiescence, and mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells via interactions with receptors CXCR4 and the alternate receptor CXCR7."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "5", "end_ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " CXCL12 also directs the trafficking of circulating progenitor cells and fibrocytes to sites of tissue injury, thereby contributing to ischemia‐induced neovascularization and, in pathological settings, to fibrotic remodeling of tissues such as the lung."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "11"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Collectively, these studies emphasize that CXCL12 is a master regulator of cell migration, stem cell niche homeostasis, angiogenesis, and immune modulation. Its central roles in both normal physiology and disease pathogenesis—including cancer progression, metastasis, and tissue repair—make the CXCL12 axis an attractive target for therapeutic intervention across a broad spectrum of clinical applications."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "13", "end_ref": "15"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Akira Orimo, Piyush B Gupta, Dennis C Sgroi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Stromal fibroblasts present in invasive human breast carcinomas promote tumor growth and angiogenesis through elevated SDF-1/CXCL12 secretion."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell (2005)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.cell.2005.02.034"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2005.02.034"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15882617"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15882617"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Christine Feig, James O Jones, Matthew Kraman, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Targeting CXCL12 from FAP-expressing carcinoma-associated fibroblasts synergizes with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1073/pnas.1320318110"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1320318110"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24277834"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24277834"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yasushi Kojima, Ahmet Acar, Elinor Ng Eaton, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Autocrine TGF-beta and stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) signaling drives the evolution of tumor-promoting mammary stromal myofibroblasts."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1073/pnas.1013805107"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1013805107"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "21041659"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21041659"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Russell S Taichman, Carlton Cooper, Evan T Keller, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Use of the stromal cell-derived factor-1/CXCR4 pathway in prostate cancer metastasis to bone."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cancer Res (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "11912162"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11912162"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Beate Heissig, Koichi Hattori, Sergio Dias, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Recruitment of stem and progenitor cells from the bone marrow niche requires MMP-9 mediated release of kit-ligand."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/s0092-8674(02)00754-7"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(02"}, {"type": "t", "text": "00754-7) PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12062105"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12062105"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jennifer M Burns, Bretton C Summers, Yu Wang, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "A novel chemokine receptor for SDF-1 and I-TAC involved in cell survival, cell adhesion, and tumor development."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Exp Med (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1084/jem.20052144"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20052144"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16940167"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16940167"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Adam Greenbaum, Yen-Michael S Hsu, Ryan B Day, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "CXCL12 in early mesenchymal progenitors is required for haematopoietic stem-cell maintenance."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nature (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/nature11926"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11926"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "23434756"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23434756"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Karl Balabanian, Bernard Lagane, Simona Infantino, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The chemokine SDF-1/CXCL12 binds to and signals through the orphan receptor RDC1 in T lymphocytes."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Biol Chem (2005)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1074/jbc.M508234200"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M508234200"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16107333"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16107333"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Andrew Chow, Daniel Lucas, Andrés Hidalgo, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Bone marrow CD169+ macrophages promote the retention of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the mesenchymal stem cell niche."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Exp Med (2011)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1084/jem.20101688"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20101688"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "21282381"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21282381"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Magda Kucia, Ryan Reca, Katarzyna Miekus, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Trafficking of normal stem cells and metastasis of cancer stem cells involve similar mechanisms: pivotal role of the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Stem Cells (2005)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1634/stemcells.2004-0342"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1634/stemcells.2004-0342"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15888687"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15888687"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 11, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Roderick J Phillips, Marie D Burdick, Kurt Hong, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Circulating fibrocytes traffic to the lungs in response to CXCL12 and mediate fibrosis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Clin Invest (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1172/JCI20997"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI20997"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15286810"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15286810"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 12, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Elena De Falco, Daniele Porcelli, Anna Rita Torella, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "SDF-1 involvement in endothelial phenotype and ischemia-induced recruitment of bone marrow progenitor cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Blood (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1182/blood-2003-12-4423"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2003-12-4423"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15284120"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15284120"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 13, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Beili Wu, Ellen Y T Chien, Clifford D Mol, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Structures of the CXCR4 chemokine GPCR with small-molecule and cyclic peptide antagonists."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Science (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1126/science.1194396"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1194396"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "20929726"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20929726"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 14, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Paolo A Hernandez, Robert J Gorlin, John N Lukens, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mutations in the chemokine receptor gene CXCR4 are associated with WHIM syndrome, a combined immunodeficiency disease."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Genet (2003)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/ng1149"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1149"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12692554"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12692554"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 15, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Sanjiv A Luther, Afshin Bidgol, Diana C Hargreaves, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Differing activities of homeostatic chemokines CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL12 in lymphocyte and dendritic cell recruitment and lymphoid neogenesis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Immunol (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.4049/jimmunol.169.1.424"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.169.1.424"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12077273"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12077273"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	SDF1, TLSF, TPAR1, PBSF, IRH, SCYB12
Proteins	SDF1_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	6387
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

CXCL12 has 20,595 functional associations with biological entities spanning 9 categories (molecular profile, organism, functional term, phrase or reference, chemical, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA, sequence feature) extracted from 126 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for CXCL12 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

CXCL12 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq	tissue samples with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Biocarta Pathways	pathways involving CXCL12 protein from the Biocarta Pathways dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures	small molecule perturbations changing expression of CXCL12 gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with CXCL12 gene mutations from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with CXCL12 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of CXCL12 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of CXCL12 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of CXCL12 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with CXCL12 gene from the curated ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of CXCL12 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing CXCL12 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing CXCL12 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with CXCL12 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with CXCL12 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of CXCL12 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with CXCL12 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with CXCL12 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with CXCL12 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations	traits associated with CXCL12 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by CXCL12 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases associated with CXCL12 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases associated with CXCL12 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with CXCL12 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with CXCL12 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with CXCL12 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with CXCL12 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	DrugBank Drug Targets	interacting drugs for CXCL12 protein from the curated DrugBank Drug Targets dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at CXCL12 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of CXCL12 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of CXCL12 gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.