The Hox genes and their roles in oncogenesis.
Hox genes, a highly conserved subgroup of the homeobox superfamily, have crucial roles in development, regulating numerous processes including apoptosis, receptor signalling, differentiation, motility and angiogenesis. Aberrations in Hox gene expression have been reported in abnormal development and malignancy, indicating that altered expression of Hox genes could be important for both oncogenesis and tumour suppression, depending on context. Therefore, Hox gene expression could be important in diagnosis and therapy.
Shah
Nilay
N
Nilay Shah and Saraswati Sukumar are at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
Sukumar
Saraswati
S
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*