KRAB-ZFPs and cancer stem cells identity

Anna Olechnowicz; Urszula Oleksiewicz; Marta Machnik

doi:10.1016/j.gendis.2022.03.013

KRAB-ZFPs and cancer stem cells identity

Genes Dis. 2022 Apr 9;10(5):1820-1832. doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.03.013. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Anna Olechnowicz^{1

2

3}, Urszula Oleksiewicz^{1

4}, Marta Machnik^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60-806, Poland.
² Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60-781, Poland.
³ Doctoral School, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan 60-812, Poland.
⁴ Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Immunology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan 61-866, Poland.

Abstract

Studies on carcinogenesis continue to provide new information about different disease-related processes. Among others, much research has focused on the involvement of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor initiation and progression. Studying the similarities and differences between CSCs and physiological stem cells (SCs) allows for a better understanding of cancer biology. Recently, it was shown that stem cell identity is partially governed by the Krϋppel-associated box domain zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs), the biggest family of transcription regulators. Several KRAB-ZFP factors exert a known effect in tumor cells, acting as tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) or oncogenes, yet their role in CSCs is still poorly characterized. Here, we review recent studies regarding the influence of KRAB-ZFPs and their cofactor protein TRIM28 on CSCs phenotype, stemness features, migration and invasion potential, metastasis, and expression of parental markers.

Keywords: Cancer; Cancer stem cell; Epigenetic; KRAB-ZFP; Transcription factors.

Publication types

Review