Homeobox protein Nkx-3.1 (NKX3-1)

Homeobox protein Nkx-3.1 (NKX3-1) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor encoded by the *NKX3-1* gene on human chromosome 8p21.2. It is highly and specifically expressed in prostate epithelial cells and is androgen-regulated. NKX3-1 plays a critical role in prostate development, stem/progenitor cell maintenance, and tumor suppression by inhibiting epithelial cell proliferation, promoting differentiation, and controlling the DNA damage response. Loss of NKX3-1 function, either through allelic deletion, epigenetic silencing, or mutation, is an early and frequent event in prostate carcinogenesis and is associated with disease progression. It can also have tumor suppressive functions in hepatocellular carcinoma by upregulating FOXO1, contributing to cell cycle arrest and inhibition of metastasis and invasion. Its loss is a prominent molecular marker of malignancy in prostate cancer[1][3][5].

Other names

NK3 homeobox 1NKX3BAPX2NKX3ANKX3.1

Drugs or therapies aiming to restore or mimic NKX3-1 function would act by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting DNA repair pathways, suppressing proliferation and invasion, and restoring normal differentiation of epithelial cells[3].