Role of Oct3/4 in Cervical Cancer Tumorigenesis.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common type of cancer that affects women. Compared to other types of cancer, CC has a high mortality rate in women worldwide. Several factors contribute to the development of CC, but persistent high-risk human papillomavirus infection is the main etiologic agent associated with the development of CC. Moreover, several studies reported that alterations in the expression of transcription factors present in a small subpopulation of cells within tumors called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which contribute to the development of CC by promoting tumorigenicity and metastasis. These transcription factors affect self-renewal and maintenance of pluripotency and differentiation in stem cells. belongs to the family of transcription factors with the POU domain. It consists of five exons and can be edited by alternative splicing into three main transcripts: OCT3/4A, OCT3/4B, and OCT3/4B1. The OCT3/4 expression in CSCs promotes carcinogenesis and the development of malignant tumors, and the loss of expression leads to the loss of self-renewal and proliferation and favors apoptosis. This review describes the main roles of OCT3/4 in CC and its importance in several biological processes that contribute to the development of CC and may serve as molecular targets to improve prognosis of CC.