Homeobox genes in endocrine tumorigenesis: mechanisms, tumor microenvironment interaction, and therapeutic potential

Unraveling the epigenetic code in cancer cell–tumor microenvironment crosstalk

Various epigenetic mechanisms controlling cancer cell‐intrinsic states, cancer cell–TME crosstalk, current epigenetic therapies, and future research directions that may lead to the discovery of new biomarkers and the development of effective epigenetic anticancer therapeutics are discussed.

Snail2: roles and regulatory mechanisms in development and disease

Snail2 (SNAI2/Slug), a core C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factor of the Snail superfamily, functions as a master regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cellular plasticity in development and disease. Unlike other EMT transcription factors that drive complete transition, Snail2 distinctively promote...

KMT2D, a key factor in driving cellular transformation and influencing therapeutic response across cancer lineages.

Cell differentiation-related signaling pathways: biological functions, diseases and therapeutic targets

Cell differentiation, the process by which stem cells acquire specialized functions, underpins embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. This process is governed by evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways, including Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, TGF-β, and Hippo, which integrate extracellular cues with i...

ESRRB: from embryonic development to cancer

ESRRB is an essential orphan nuclear receptor in embryonic development and in the maintenance of pluripotency. It can contribute to the self-renewal capacity of embryonic stem cells by regulating gene networks involved in cell fate decisions, influenced by core transcription factors such as NANOG, SOX2 and OCT4. Mech...

Distal-less homeobox 5 gives rise to myofibroblastic carcinoma-associated fibroblasts to promote collective breast cancer invasion

Tumor-promoting myofibroblastic carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (myCAFs) are induced by activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. However, the molecular basis of myCAF-specific transcriptional programs regulated by TGF-β signaling remains poorly understood. Using a meta-analysis of single-cell RNA-...