<p class="first" id="d17654474e166">Cancer is a heavy burden for humans across the
world with high morbidity and mortality.
Transcription factors including sex determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility
group (HMG) box (SOX) proteins are thought to be involved in the regulation of specific
biological processes. The deregulation of gene expression programs can lead to cancer
development. Here, we review the role of the SOX family in breast cancer, prostate
cancer, renal cell carcinoma, thyroid cancer, brain tumours, gastrointestinal and
lung tumours as well as the entailing therapeutic implications. The SOX family consists
of more than 20 members that mediate DNA binding by the HMG domain and have regulatory
functions in development, cell-fate decision, and differentiation. SOX2, SOX4, SOX5,
SOX8, SOX9, and SOX18 are up-regulated in different cancer types and have been found
to be associated with poor prognosis, while the up-regulation of SOX11 and SOX30 appears
to be favourable for the outcome in other cancer types. SOX2, SOX4, SOX5 and other
SOX members are involved in tumorigenesis, e.g. SOX2 is markedly up-regulated in chemotherapy
resistant cells. The SoxF family (SOX7, SOX17, SOX18) plays an important role in angio-
and lymphangiogenesis, with SOX18 seemingly being an attractive target for anti-angiogenic
therapy and the treatment of metastatic disease in cancer. In summary, SOX transcription
factors play an important role in cancer progression, including tumorigenesis, changes
in the tumour microenvironment, and metastasis. Certain SOX proteins are potential
molecular markers for cancer prognosis and putative potential therapeutic targets,
but further investigations are required to understand their physiological functions.
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