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Transcriptional and epigenetic embryonic programs can be reactivated in cancer cells. As result, a specific subset of undifferentiated cells with stem-cells properties emerges and drives tumorigenesis.
Recent findings have shown that ectoderm- and endoderm-derived tissues continue expressing stem-cells related transcription factors of the SOX-family of proteins such as SOX2 and SOX9 which have been implicated in the presence of cancer stem-like cells CSCs in tumors. Currently, there is enough evidence suggesting an oncogenic role for SOX9 in different types of human cancers.
This review provides a summary of the current knowledge about the involvement of SOX9 in development and progression of cancer. Understanding the functional roles of SOX9 and clinical relevance is crucial for developing novel treatments targeting CSCs in cancer. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the study of mechanisms leading to the expression of genes involved in developmental and cell differentiation, since they are related to the presence of a special type of tumor cells with a stemness phenotype dubbed as cancer stem-like cells CSCs.
Stem cells regulatory proteins are now being recognized as potential oncogenes because of their ability to regulate CSCs phenotype and maintenance in tumors of diverse types of cancer. Moreover, it has been well accepted that CSCs are the main driving force behind tumor formation and metastasis [ 1 ]. CSCs exhibit diverse cell properties including self-renewal, differentiation capacity, and resistance to apoptosis.
