CCN2 and neoplasm: Additionally, GAPDH can act as a noncanonical RNA-binding protein, through recognition of the AU-rich region of its mRNA 3′-UTR, and facilitate mRNA stability and expression of genes for proteins playing important roles in cancer, such as GLUT1, colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and CCN family member 2/connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF), involved in tumour phenotype, angiogenesis and metastasis [492,493] (figure 3B.6).