SDF-1 (CXCL12) is clinically significant as it promotes cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis in human gastric cancer through interaction with its receptor CXCR4, and high SDF-1 expression is associated with poor prognosis and increased lymph node metastasis (Torruella-Loran et al., 2019). The gene discussed is CXCR4; the disease is gastric cancer.