# NCSTN

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

## TL;DR

NCSTN (Nicastrin) is a gene. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, and an approved or late-stage drug is recorded against it. Tied to Desmoid tumour.

## Summary

Essential subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyses the intramembrane cleavage of integral membrane proteins such as Notch receptors and APP (amyloid-beta precursor protein). The gamma-secretase complex plays a role in Notch and Wnt signalling cascades and regulation of downstream processes via its role in processing key regulatory proteins, and by regulating cytosolic CTNNB1 levels.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: nicastrin; Nicastrin; KIAA0253; APH2
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: NCSTN
- Class: other
- Biology: Essential subunit of the gamma-secretase complex, an endoprotease complex that catalyses the intramembrane cleavage of integral membrane proteins such as Notch receptors and APP (amyloid-beta precursor protein). The gamma-secretase complex plays a role in Notch and Wnt signalling cascades and regulation of downstream processes via its role in processing key regulatory proteins, and by regulating cytosolic CTNNB1 levels. Location: Membrane; Cytoplasmic vesicle membrane; Melanosome (UniProt). Locus 1q23.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Desmoid tumour: Open Targets association 0.50 with desmoid tumour (MONDO_0007608)

## 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: Open Targets known-drug datatype score 0.83. Evidence tier "approved-drug" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:17091: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:17091
- UniProt Q92542: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q92542/entry
- NCBI Gene 23385: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/23385
- Ensembl ENSG00000162736: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000162736

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Desmoid tumour](https://onco.cc/cancers/desmoid-tumour/)

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