CUX1, A Controversial Player in Tumor Development.

CUX1 belongs to the homeodomain transcription factor family and is evolutionarily and functionally conserved from to humans. In addition to the involvement in various physiological events including tissue development, cell proliferation, differentiation and migration, and DNA damage response, CUX1 has been implicated in tumorigenesis. Interestingly, has been recently recognized as a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor, which is paradoxically overexpressed in tumor cells. While loss of heterozygosity and/or mutations of have been frequently detected in many types of cancers, genomic amplification, and overexpression of have also been reported in cancer tissues and are correlated with higher tumor grade and poor prognosis. Therefore, deciphering the roles of different CUX1 isoforms and in different tumor stages is required to establish a CUX1-based therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.