# EIF4A1

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/eif4a1/  
OnCo record `eif4a1` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

EIF4A1 (Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I) is an enzyme. The public catalogues list it as a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Burkitt lymphoma.

## Summary

ATP-dependent RNA helicase which is a subunit of the eIF4F complex involved in cap recognition and is required for mRNA binding to ribosome. In the current model of translation initiation, eIF4A unwinds RNA secondary structures in the 5'-UTR of mRNAs which is necessary to allow efficient binding of the small ribosomal subunit, and subsequent scanning for the initiator codon. As a result, promotes cell proliferation and growth.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A1; Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I; DDX2A; EIF-4A; EIF4A
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: EIF4A1
- Class: enzyme
- Biology: ATP-dependent RNA helicase which is a subunit of the eIF4F complex involved in cap recognition and is required for mRNA binding to ribosome. In the current model of translation initiation, eIF4A unwinds RNA secondary structures in the 5'-UTR of mRNAs which is necessary to allow efficient binding of the small ribosomal subunit, and subsequent scanning for the initiator codon. As a result, promotes cell proliferation and growth. Location: Cytoplasm, perinuclear region; Cell membrane; Cytoplasm, Stress granule (UniProt). Locus 17p13.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Burkitt lymphoma: CIViC evidence names this disease

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:3282: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:3282
- UniProt P60842: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P60842/entry
- NCBI Gene 1973: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1973
- Ensembl ENSG00000161960: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000161960

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/)
- cancers: [Burkitt lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/burkitt-lymphoma/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/eif4a1.json