Emerging roles for PAX transcription factors in cancer biology.

Pax genes are transcription factors which act as essential control genes during the establishment of embryonic cell lineages. Recent evidence now demonstrates that their expression is deregulated by different mechanisms in several tumor types including Wilms' tumors, rhabdomyosarcomas, brain tumors and lymphomas. The oncogenic role of PAX proteins in tumor development is now subject of intensive investigations and may include stimulation of the rate of proliferation as well as inhibition of the apoptotic program. In addition, the expression of PAX genes in these cancers might serve as a diagnostic and probably also prognostic tool.