IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2906225
Open Access Review
The Role of FOXA1 in Human Normal Development and Its Functions in Sex Hormone-Related Cancers
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Affiliation
1 Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Reproductive Medicine and Genetic Research & Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Diseases Research and Translation, Ministry of Education & Hainan Provincial Clinical Research Center for Thalassemia, Department of Reproductive Medicine, National Center for International Research “China-Myanmar Joint Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Regional Major Disease” by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Haikou Key Laboratory for Preservation of Human Genetic Resource, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan Medical University, 571101 Haikou, Hainan, China
2 School of Management, Hainan Medical University, 571199 Haikou, Hainan, China
*Correspondence: yang_zaijia@163.com (Zaijia Yang); mayanlinma@hotmail.com (Yanlin Ma)
These authors contributed equally.
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(6), 225; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2906225
Submitted: 24 January 2024 | Revised: 8 May 2024 | Accepted: 29 May 2024 | Published: 21 June 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Transcription factors (TFs) are essential proteins regulating gene expression by binding to specific nucleotide sequences upstream of genes. Among TF families, the forkhead box (FOX) proteins, characterized by a conserved DNA-binding domain, play vital roles in various cellular processes, including cancer. The FOXA subfamily, encompassing FOXA1, FOXA2, and FOXA3, stands out for its pivotal role in mammalian development. FOXA1, initially identified in the liver, exhibits diverse expression across multiple organ tissues and plays a critical role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumor development. Its structural composition includes transactivation domains and a DNA-binding domain, facilitating its function as a pioneer factor, which is crucial for chromatin interaction and the recruitment of other transcriptional regulators. The involvement of FOXA1 in sex hormone-related tumors underscores its significance in cancer biology. This review provides an overview of multifaceted roles of FOXA1 in normal development and its implications in the pathogenesis of hormone-related cancers, particularly breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Keywords
FOXA1
transcription factor
organogenesis
development
breast cancer
prostate cancer
Funding
822RC836/ Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China
ZDYF2020121/ Hainan Province Science and Technology Special Fund
81960283/ National Natural Science Foundation of China
The specific research fund of The Innovation Platform for Academicians of Hainan Province, Hainan Province Clinical Medical Center
Figures
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