Cell Death Discovery (Feb 2024)

SOX on tumors, a comfort or a constraint?

  • Junqing Jiang,
  • Yufei Wang,
  • Mengyu Sun,
  • Xiangyuan Luo,
  • Zerui Zhang,
  • Yijun Wang,
  • Siwen Li,
  • Dian Hu,
  • Jiaqian Zhang,
  • Zhangfan Wu,
  • Xiaoping Chen,
  • Bixiang Zhang,
  • Xiao Xu,
  • Shuai Wang,
  • Shengjun Xu,
  • Wenjie Huang,
  • Limin Xia

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-024-01834-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 18

Abstract

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Abstract The sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (SOX) family, composed of 20 transcription factors, is a conserved family with a highly homologous HMG domain. Due to their crucial role in determining cell fate, the dysregulation of SOX family members is closely associated with tumorigenesis, including tumor invasion, metastasis, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and drug resistance. Despite considerable research to investigate the mechanisms and functions of the SOX family, confusion remains regarding aspects such as the role of the SOX family in tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and contradictory impacts the SOX family exerts on tumors. This review summarizes the physiological function of the SOX family and their multiple roles in tumors, with a focus on the relationship between the SOX family and TIME, aiming to propose their potential role in cancer and promising methods for treatment.