The transcription factor ETS1 in lymphomas: friend or foe?

ETS1 is a member of the ETS family of transcription factors, which contains many cancer genes. ETS1 gene is mapped at 11q24.3, a chromosomal region that is often the site of genomic rearrangements in hematological cancers. ETS1 is expressed in a variety of cells, including B and T lymphocytes. ETS1 is important in various biological processes such as development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and tissue remodeling. It acts as an oncogene controlling invasive and angiogenic behavior of malignant cells in multiple human cancers. In particular, ETS1 deregulation has been reported in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, in Burkitt lymphoma and in Hodgkin lymphoma. Here, we summarize the function of ETS1 in normal cells, with a particular emphasis on lymphocytes, and its possible role as an oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in the different mature B cell lymphomas.