spleen, testes, kidneys, placenta, thyroid, bladder, and adrenal glands. It is also found in the endothelium cells of the blood-brain barrier. Clinical significance Effect of polymorphisms Certain polymorphisms in the ABCC1 gene have been shown to be connected with an increased susceptibility to certain types of cancer. A G2168A polymorphism and polymorphisms found in the 3'-UTR region of the gene have been shown to have a connection with increased susceptibility to lung cancer, especially in Chinese populations. Carriers of the G2168A polymorphism contract lung cancer at a rate nearly four times higher than those individuals that do not have the mutation in the gene. Polymorphisms within the ABCC1 gene also tend to have a substantial effect on the severity of a disease. Examples of these diseases includes cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In reference to cystic fibrosis, individuals with a G-260C polymorphism in the 5'-UTR area of the ABCC1 gene tended to have a much more severe case of cystic fibrosis than individuals with the wild-type gene. Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder were impacted by two polymorphisms in the ABCC1 gene. If an individual had a 3'-UTR T866A polymorphism, they generally had a less severe case of COPD marked by less inflammation in their airways. On the other hand, an individual with a 3'-UTR G3361A polymorphism generally had a more severe case of COPD that was accompanied by a greater amount of inflammation in their airways. Alzheimer's disease The ATP-binding cassette protein ABCC1 has received attention in the last decade due to its possible connection with Alzheimer’s disease. One of the more prominent signs of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of β-amyloid proteins in the brain. As these proteins accumulate, they begin to form plaques that interfere with signaling between cells of the nervous system found within the brain. Due to its presence in the choroid plexus and blood-brain barrier and its ability to transport multiple kinds of molecules out of cells, ABCC1 has been a point of interest in many Alzheimer's disease studies. The transporter protein has been shown to decrease β-amyloid accumulation by nearly 80 percent when activated, leading researchers to further investigation on its use in future treatments of Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders. Role in cancer ABCC1 plays a role in the multidrug resistance of cancerous tumor cells due to its ability to transport many chemotherapeutic drugs out of the cells.