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An Orthotopic Bladder Cancer Model for Gene Delivery Studies
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On a FOX hunt: functions of FOX transcriptional regulators in bladder cancer

Hironobu Yamashita1, Vasty Osei Amponsa1, Joshua I Warrick1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.

Nature Reviews. Urology
|November 30, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are differentially expressed in bladder cancer subtypes and may play roles in disease development and treatment. Further research is needed to understand their precise involvement in urothelial carcinoma.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Genomic and transcriptional studies reveal distinct molecular subtypes of bladder cancer.
  • The forkhead box (FOX) superfamily of transcription factors shows differential expression across these subtypes.
  • FOXA proteins are crucial for embryonic bladder development and patterning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of FOXA1 and FOXA2 in urothelial carcinoma.
  • To explore the involvement of other FOX proteins in bladder cancer development and progression.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets within the FOX protein family.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of genomic and transcriptional data from bladder cancer subtypes.
  • Review of experimental and clinical data on FOXA1 and FOXA2 expression.
  • Examination of developmental studies implicating FOXA2 in urothelial progenitor cells.

Main Results:

  • FOXA1 expression is altered in urothelial carcinomas and varies across molecular bladder cancer subtypes.
  • FOXA2, typically absent in adult urothelium, is identified as a marker of transient progenitor cells during development.
  • FOXA1 and FOXO3A are associated with clinical patient outcomes in bladder cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Both FOXA1 and FOXA2 have implicated roles in urothelial carcinoma.
  • Other FOX proteins may also contribute to bladder cancer pathogenesis.
  • Further investigation into the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of FOX proteins in bladder cancer is warranted.

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