Oral Biomedicine ›› 2025, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (2): 112-116.

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Recent advances in the role of HOX genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma

XU Mengyu, AN Zhengwen.   

  • Received:2025-02-18 Revised:2025-04-08 Online:2025-04-25 Published:2025-05-08

Abstract: The homeobox (HOX) gene family comprises a highly conserved group of transcription factors that play a pivotal role in biological processes such as embryonic development and organ formation. Recent studies have demonstrated that aberrant expression of HOX genes is closely associated with the initiation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), making them important molecular targets in OSCC research. This review summarizes the research progress on HOX genes in OSCC, with a focus on their key mechanistic roles in tumorigenesis. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of HOX genebased targeted therapeutic strategies.