PR domain zinc finger protein 14 (PRDM14) (PRDM14)

PR domain zinc finger protein 14 (PRDM14) is a transcription factor and epigenetic regulator essential for the maintenance of pluripotency and the specification of primordial germ cells (UniProt Q9GZV8). It functions by recruiting chromatin-modifying enzymes, such as Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), to regulate gene expression through histone methylation and DNA demethylation (PubMed: 17586631). While its expression is highly restricted to germ cells and early embryonic stages in healthy individuals, PRDM14 is frequently overexpressed in various malignancies, including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and certain leukemias (PubMed: 22820464). In these oncogenic contexts, it acts as a driver of cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis, often by maintaining a stem-like state within the tumor population. Because of its restricted expression in normal adult tissues and its critical role in tumor progression, PRDM14 is considered a promising therapeutic target (PubMed: 28438121). Current drug discovery efforts focus on using nucleic acid-based therapies, such as siRNA or antisense oligonucleotides, to knockdown its expression in tumor cells (PubMed: 26051185).

Other names

PRDM14PR domain-containing protein 14PFM11PRDI-BF1 and RIZ domain-containing protein 14

Inhibition of PRDM14 expression via RNA interference or antisense technology to suppress oncogenic signaling and induce apoptosis or differentiation in cancer cells (PubMed: 28438121).