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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts
Published on: July 25, 2020
MEIS and PBX homeobox proteins in ovarian cancer
A P G Crijns1, P de Graeff, D Geerts
1Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, University of Groningen and University Medical Centre Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Three amino-acid loop extension (TALE) homeobox proteins MEIS and PBX are cofactors for HOX-class homeobox proteins, which control growth and differentiation during embryogenesis and homeostasis. We showed that MEIS and PBX expression are related to cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cell lines. Therefore, MEIS1, MEIS2 and PBX expression were investigated immunohistochemically in a tissue microarray (N=232) of ovarian cancers and ovarian surface epithelium (N=15). Results were related to clinicopathologic characteristics and survival. All cancers expressed MEIS1, MEIS2 and PBX in nucleus and cytoplasm. MEIS1 and 2 only stained nuclear in surface epithelium. Nuclear MEIS2 was negatively related to stage, grade and overall survival in univariate analyses. Additionally, MEIS and PBX RNA expression in ovarian surface epithelium and other normal tissues and ovarian cancer versus other tumour types using public array data sets were studied. In ovarian cancer, MEIS1 is highly expressed compared to other cancer types. In conclusion, MEIS and PBX are extensively expressed in ovarian carcinomas and may play a role in ovarian carcinogenesis.
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