Zinc finger protein 18 (ZNF18)

Zinc finger protein 18 (ZNF18) is a member of the large and diverse family of zinc finger proteins, which are characterized by the presence of one or more zinc finger motifs—small, stable domains stabilized by the coordination of zinc ions to cysteine and histidine residues[1][2][4]. ZNF18 contains C2H2-type zinc finger motifs, which are commonly found in transcription factors, as well as KRAB and SCAN domains that mediate protein-protein interactions and transcriptional repression[4]. This family of proteins, and ZNF18 by extension, functions predominantly as transcription factors that regulate gene expression by binding to DNA, and they play important roles in cellular differentiation, development, and genome stability[1][2][4]. Although ZNF18 has aliases pointing to a possible role in heart development ("heart development-specific gene 1 protein"), direct information on its function, disease involvement, or druggability remains sparse. There are no known therapeutic drugs directly targeting ZNF18, and it is not currently used as a biomarker or considered a validated therapeutic target. Nonetheless, alterations in the expression or function of C2H2-type zinc finger proteins are implicated in various diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders, owing to their central role in gene regulation[3][4].

Other names

ZNF18HDSG1KOX11ZKSCAN6ZNF535ZSCAN38Zfp535Heart development-specific gene 1 proteinZinc finger protein 535Zinc finger protein KOX11Zinc finger protein with KRAB and SCAN domains 6zinc finger protein 18 (KOX 11)